In line with the Marcos Administration’s digitalization agenda, the Department of Tourism (DOT) and Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC) formally signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at the DOT Central Office to deploy RCBC’s ATM Go in priority and underserved tourist destinations across the country.
Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco and RCBC Deputy CEO and Incoming President Reginaldo Cariaso led the ceremonial signing of the partnership, which outlines the framework for the installation of ATM Go terminals in DOT-accredited establishments and identified tourist sites, including primary and secondary airports, seaports, and the DOT’s Tourist Rest Areas (TRAs).
ATM Go will enable international VISA and Mastercard debit and credit cardholders—including foreign tourists, backpackers, and expats—to conveniently withdraw cash through local partner merchants such as micro-enterprises.
ATM Go will enable international VISA and Mastercard debit and credit cardholders—including foreign tourists, backpackers, and expats—to conveniently withdraw cash through local partner merchants such as micro-enterprises, enhancing the financial accessibility of these businesses that serve as the lifeblood of the tourism value chain.
“Behind every experience is a Filipino worker, a family-run business, a local community that makes tourism possible. That is why the Department of Tourism continues to ensure that tourism growth is not just seen in numbers, but is felt by people on the ground,” Frasco said.
“Our partnership today with RCBC through ATM Go brings us closer to this goal. This initiative is not just about providing ATMs—or in this case, kapitbahay ATMs—it is about financial empowerment, giving tourism workers and small businesses in remote and emerging destinations the ability to participate in the formal economy,” the tourism chief added.
The partnership with RCBC, the tourism head noted, seeks to bring banking services closer to enterprises that operate in places where basic banking is few and far between.Â
“Ito ay paraan upang mas maraming Pilipino ang makinabang sa pag-unlad sa pamamagitan ng turismo.”
“Ito ay paraan upang mas maraming Pilipino ang makinabang sa pag-unlad sa pamamagitan ng turismo. This is a transitional yet strategic step towards our broader vision for a fully digitalized economy where cashless transactions are accessible, safe, and seamless. But while we work towards that future, we must meet our people where they are today,” she explained.
“Under the leadership of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., we are transforming Philippine tourism to be inclusive, resilient, and community-based—anchored on the principles of convenience, connectivity, and equality in tourism development,” Frasco added.
As may be recalled, since the start of the Marcos administration, Philippine tourism has achieved remarkable milestones, witnessing the highest tourism spending in terms of international visitor receipts, alongside record-breaking tourism employment, with 16.4 million individuals now directly and indirectly employed in the sector, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority.Â
The Banko Sentral ng Pilipinas also reported a net trade surplus in services, a feat not achieved in the past 15 years, as well as longer length of stay and increased tourism spending.
