MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Tourism (DOT) has teamed up with mobile wallet operator GCash to drive digital payment adoption among local tourism enterprises, aiming to boost convenience for both domestic and international travelers.
Tourism Secretary Dita Angara-Mathay and Assistant Secretary for Branding and Marketing Communications Armand Lorenze Sapitan signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on November 3 alongside GCash representatives, including Paul Albano, General Manager for Business, and Juan Carlos “Caloy” Bauza, Vice President and International Payments Head.
The partnership sets the framework for joint campaigns, merchant onboarding, and financial literacy programs designed to help micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) capture tourism-driven spending.
Under the agreement, GCash will equip participating businesses with digital payment tools—such as GCash SoundPay, GCash PocketPay, GCash SoundPay Plus, and GCash EasyPOS—through a simplified registration process requiring only a verified account.
The initiative is expected to benefit remote destinations where traditional currency exchange or banking services are scarce, allowing visitors to pay digitally using supported foreign-issued cards and eliminating the need to carry large amounts of physical cash.
“Visitors already want to pay digitally, and our accredited enterprises should be ready for them. From homestay hosts to market vendors and local artisans, these are the people who make a destination lively enough to be worth visiting,” Secretary Angara-Mathay said.
She added that the DOT will support the rollout by promoting merchant onboarding in line with the “Love the Philippines” and “Discover More to Love” campaigns, sharing lists of accredited entities, and integrating GCash into regional tourism events.
Meanwhile, GCash will roll out co-branded marketing campaigns, provide customized digital toolkits and merchant incentives, and conduct financial literacy training for local entrepreneurs.
“At GCash, our mission of ‘Finance for All’ means ensuring that every Filipino, including every single micro and small merchant who brings our local tourism destinations to life, can thrive in the digital economy. Through this partnership, we are boosting the Philippine tourism sector by connecting even the smallest local businesses to more tourists, both local and international, and giving them the tools to benefit from global tourism opportunities,” Albano stated.
Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) shows that the tourism sector contributed over ₱2.27 trillion to the economy in 2025, accounting for 8.1% of the country’s GDP and supporting 7.7 million jobs.
The newly forged partnership seeks to ensure that more of this economic footprint directly benefits local communities and grassroots vendors.