RCBC ATM Go Qorus-Infosys Finacle Banking Innovation Awards 2025

The distinct problem faced by the Philippines in scaling sustainable financial solutions is that it is an archipelago. Banks face high costs, logistical issues, and elevated risks in expanding to remote and rural areas. This unique situation has prompted banks to focus in highly urbanized areas to scale financial services, leaving out low-income, underserved and unbanked communities in rural and remote areas.

To resolve this, RCBC launched ATM Go - a sim-powered bank-agnostic and grassroots-oriented dual-sim powered mobile handheld device that contained basic banking services. This versatile digital solution is an ATM that is easy to transport and manage without the need of a physical bank or regular visits from bank personnel. The terminal bridges Filipinos in rural and remote areas to the formal banking system and allows access to cash deposits and withdrawals, QR-powered withdrawals, account management, bills payments, mobile loading, remittances, international debit card (VISA and Mastercard) withdrawals, and government welfare cash-out.

RCBC ATM Go has emerged as the Philippines’ first ever bank-agnostic and grassroots-oriented ATM network hyperfocused on underserved and unbanked communities. The service is scaled rapidly thanks to strategic partnerships with grassroots entrepreneurs in rural and remote areas. In exchange for facilitating financial transactions for consumers in communities, entrepreneurs receive additional revenue and capital, which help them grow their businesses and stimulate the local economy.

In 2024, RCBC sought to expand RCBC ATM Go with five key objectives:

-To provide an alternative livelihood for grassroots enterprises and mSMEs in rural and remote areas -To expand the ATM Go merchant network, with the aim to mobilize them as advocates of digital finance -To give due recognition to the contributions of ATM Go merchants in supporting the country’s financial inclusion journey through a rewards program and awarding ceremony -Grassroots enterprises in remote and rural areas which are seeking to expand the services they offer vis-a-vis increase their income and capital -Micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) which are seeking to expand their income and capital

RCBC ATM Go continues to be scaled and spearheaded by the RCBC Digital Enterprise and Innovations Group headed by Executive Vice President and Chief Innovation and Inclusion Officer Lito Villanueva. The primary departments involved in its operations are the Go-To Market Scale, Usage, Marketing, and Product Teams. The bank partners with grassroots entrepreneurs to scale the solution, and enable rural and remote areas to have sustained access to digital banking services.

RCBC also works with national government agencies - Social Security System (SSS), Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), Cooperative Development Authority (CDA), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) government, and the Department of Tourism (DOT) to digitize banking transactions and spread financial and digital literacy in partner communities.

The BARMM government manages one of the most highly underserved and unbanked areas in the country. Through the key partnership, RCBC provided financial literacy workshops and scaled ATM Go in areas with high rates of financial exclusion. This partnership was paired with the bank’s efforts to expand its partnerships with rural and remote entrepreneurs, providing enterprises additional sources of income whilst expanding the service’s reach.

The latest partnership with the DOT enables the bank to bring digital banking solutions to high tourist areas in rural and remote areas. By introducing digital services to these destinations, it makes retail transactions convenient and enables fast withdrawal of debit cards, which stimulate the rural and remote economies and provide more income to local businesses. Furthermore, this makes Philippines a more attractive destination with its digital payments.

In addition, RCBC unveiled the “RCBC ATM Go for Gold” program in 2024, a program that rewards top-performing merchants with higher incentives and capital to expand their businesses. RCBC leveraged successful stories of already existing entrepreneurs and the benefits of joining the program to attract more entrepreneurs into the network.

As a result of these efforts, RCBC ATM Go now covers 100% of cities and provinces and 93% of municipalities, and generated a 134% year-on-year increase in new merchants and 107% surge in new terminals. Up to 66% of its users are rural women while 65% of financial transactions are attributed to cash withdrawals under the government’s conditional cash transfer program. ATM Go was named “Best SME Financial Inclusion Initiative” by The Digital Banker Global SME Banking Innovation Awards 2024, and was among the three digital solutions that RCBC bannered to seal its six-peat “Best Bank for Digital” award by Euromoney (formerly Asiamoney).

To this day, RCBC ATM Go continues to play a pivotal role in distributing government aid through the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). Beneficiaries have withdrawn a total of ₱8.6 billion in government aid through the RCBC ATM Go network — accounting for about 15% of the ₱59.1 billion distributed by the government to over 4.4 million 4Ps beneficiaries nationwide as of end September 2024. On top of this, RCBC ATM Go also supports payroll disbursements for teachers, police, pensioners, military personnel, and local government employees, disbursing a total of Php 16.4 billion and posting a 35% year-on-year growth.