SSS, RCBC promote financial inclusion among members through the UMID Pay Cards

Wazzup Pilipinas!?



The Social Security System (SSS) and the Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC) recently signed a pact that will make every SSS member become part of the financial system through the UMID Pay Cards at the SSS Main Office in Quezon City.

SSS President and Chief Executive Officer Michael G. Regino (3rd from left) and RCBC President and Chief Executive Officer Eugene S. Acevedo (4th from left) led the signing ceremonies of the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) that will authorize RCBC to issue UMID Pay Cards to SSS members.


SSS welcomes RCBC, one of the country’s leading universal banks, as its newest partner in producing UMID Pay Cards.


Regino said that RCBC will start issuing UMID Pay Cards to SSS members in the first quarter of 2023.


“SSS and RCBC are already in the process of systems integration, and we are looking forward to rolling it out early next year,” he added.


Aside from being a valid government-issued ID, the UMID Pay Card will also serve as an ATM card since it will be linked to the member’s chosen Bank account, such as RCBC savings account. The UMID Pay Card Bank account will have no required starting and maintaining balance and will be the default disbursement account where the proceeds of their SSS benefits, loan, will be readily credited.


"We are looking forward to a meaningful partnership with RCBC as SSS moves toward the financial inclusion of our members, especially those from the agricultural and fishing sector of our society as well as all workers in the informal economy. We are hoping that with this union which are only IDs will already have their UMID Pay Cards,” the SSS Chief added.


Generally, most Filipinos do not have a bank account because they lack identification requirements such as a valid ID or enough money to open a bank account.


With the UMID Pay Cards, SSS members can use this to check their balance, withdraw cash, transfer funds, pay bills, or deposit cash through RCBC branches, ATMs, and its online banking facility.


Aside from the MOA, SSS and RCBC officials also signed the Confidentiality and Non-Disclosure Agreement and Data Sharing Agreements to protect the biometric data and personal information of SSS members to be used in producing the UMID Pay Cards.

Also present during the MOA signing are (standing from left to right) SSS Identity Management Department Head Jose Antonio L. Salazar (leftmost side), SSS Senior Vice President for Member Services and Support Group Normita M. Doctor (2nd from left), RCBC Executive Vice President and Chief Innovation and Inclusion Officer Angelito M. Villanueva (3rd from right), RCBC Vice President for Go-to-Market and Scale Division Digital Enterprise and Innovations Group Robert Alexander O. Campos (2nd from right), and RCBC Senior Manager for Customer Activations and Strategic Partnerships Department Kirsten B. Nagrampa (rightmost side).

Construction of new Manila International Airport in Bulacan in full swing

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) led by Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista is closely monitoring developments in the P735-billion New Manila International Airport (NMIA) which is now rising in the province of Bulacan.

Secretary Bautista on Saturday joined other transport officials in conducting an inspection of the new international airport’s build site in Bulakan town as construction of the country’s largest and most sophisticated gateway goes full swing.

Land development works are now being done at the airport’s 1,693-hectare site which is located 35 kilometers north of Metro Manila.

Works on the NMIA officially started on September 18, 2019, when the government, through the DOTr, signed a concession agreement with San Miguel Aerocity Inc. (SMAI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of San Miguel Holdings Corp., and the infrastructure arm of San Miguel Corporation.

The DOTr and the SMAI are working together to make sure that the project complies with environmental protection requirements, particularly flood mitigation, considering the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) which was conducted prior to commencement of works at the airport site.

Also joining Secretary Bautista in the inspection of the airport construction site was San Miguel Corporation (SMC) president and CEO Ramon Ang.

Secretary Bautista is assuring stakeholders of the new international airport that the gateway will soon be open for business. Operations at the new gateway are targeted to start in 2027.

Once built, the new international airport will be fully owned by the government under a “build-operate-transfer” program.

Once operational, the new gateway will not only help decongest the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) as the capital’s main gateway, but will also be a “game changer” and catalyst of economic growth in Central Luzon. Phase 1 of the airport will have a capacity of 35 million passengers per annum, is expected generate more than 1 million jobs, and rake-in increased foreign direct investments and higher exports.

Under the 50-year concession agreement, SMAI will undertake the financing, design, construction, supply, completion, testing, commissioning, and operation and maintenance (O&M) of the new international gateway.

With a design capacity of up to 100 million passengers annually and plans for four parallel runways, the New Manila International Airport is expected to help decongest the NAIA and enable the airports in the Greater Capital Region (Metro Manila and nearby provinces) to meet forecast passenger demand.

"Fondly Remembering Spain", exhibition by Phyllis Zaballero

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

Instituto Cervantes presents “Fondly Remembering Spain" an exhibition of Phyllis Zaballero’s “Spanish paintings”. The exhibit will be on view at the Instituto Cervantes' Intramuros branch from November 10, 2022 to January 22, 2023.

This collection of paintings, including those from private collections and those from the artist, was inspired by the Zaballero’s years spent in Barcelona and memories of her trips around the Iberian Peninsula from 1957 to 1960 which had a strong impact on her as an artist.

She belongs to what we can define as the postmodern generation of artists who were trained in the spirit of the still revolutionary avant-garde style of the first half of the 20th century. Her first artworks developed in an extraordinary period of Philippine painting, from the 50s to the 80s.

“Fondly Remembering Spain" is organized by Instituto Cervantes in collaboration with the Embassy of Spain. For further information, please visit Instituto Cervantes' website at manila.cervantes.es, Facebook page (InstitutoCervantesManila) or Instagram (institutocervantesmanila). You may also send an email to cenmni@cervantes.es.