The Philippine government is tapping India’s NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) to modernize the country’s digital payments infrastructure, accelerate sovereign Government-to-Person (G2P) benefit payments and establish cross border digital payment connectivity.
This was discussed during a business meeting on September 12 among President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., Department of Finance (DOF) Secretary Frederick D. Go, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Cristina A. Roque, Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Secretary Henry Rhoel R. Aguda, and NIPL Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Ritesh Shukla.
The meeting centered on leveraging India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) technology stack to upgrade the Philippines’ digital payment ecosystem. A key priority of the discussion was deploying UPI capabilities to enhance sovereign G2P transfers through the Land Bank of the Philippines (LandBank), to improve the speed, transparency, and efficiency of government benefit disbursements.
“During our meeting with President Marcos Jr. and NPCI International, we agreed to bring India’s UPI technology to the Philippines. This will allow LandBank to distribute government financial aid much faster and make daily digital transactions easier and cheaper for ordinary Filipinos,” Secretary Roque said.
“By bringing India’s UPI technology to the Philippines, we will also directly empower our MSMEs by making cross-border payments seamless and digital transactions cheaper and more accessible. Connecting this system with QR Ph will enable our local enterprises to easily accept payments from foreign tourists and international buyers, driving sales and expanding their reach in the global digital economy,” Secretary Roque added.
“Following LANDBANK’s pioneering efforts to waive P2G fees and take the lead in reducing the cost of digital transfers, we continue to look for ways to make digital payments more affordable, efficient, and accessible. Through a potential partnership with NPCI International and by exploring proven payment technologies, we aim to lower the cost of delivering government services and make them faster, more secure, and more responsive to the needs of the Filipino people,” LANDBANK Chair and Finance Secretary Frederick D. Go said.
Discussions also covered modernizing the national clearing network via the newly merged Payments Network of the Philippines, Inc. (PNPI/ BancNet) and linking India’s UPI with the Philippines’ QR Ph network, building on ongoing engagements with InstaPay ACH and GCash.
To facilitate NIPL’s strategic entry and operational integration, the Philippine government highlighted key institutional support mechanisms, including Green Lane expedited processing under Executive Order No. 18 for strategic digital infrastructure projects. Additionally, potential long-term fiscal incentive options were outlined under the CREATE MORE Act (R.A. 12066) and the Strategic Investment Priority Plan (SIPP) for qualified fintech and IT investments.
Joining President Marcos Jr. and Cabinet officials at the meeting were Philippine Ambassador to India Josel Francisco Ignacio, PTIC-New Delhi Commercial Counsellor Rudolph Jay Velasco, Senior Representatives from NPCI International, LandBank President and CEO Lynette V. Ortiz and LandBank Senior Vice President Grace Ofelia Lovely V. Dayo.
The DTI, together with the DOF and PTIC-New Delhi, reaffirmed its commitment to facilitating inter-agency coordination with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), LandBank and PNPI/BancNet to execute non-disclosure agreements and fast-track technical implementation.
