Leaders from the Philippine and Australian fintech sectors convened during the first Philippine Tech Mission to Australia in Melbourne to explore opportunities for deeper collaboration in digital finance, innovation, and cross-border financial services.
Key Participants and Discussions
The delegation included Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Deputy Governor Mamerto E. Tangonan, FinTech Alliance.PH Founding Chairman and RCBC Executive Vice President Lito Villanueva, FinTech Australia CEO Rehan Mark D'Almeida, and GXI (GCash EMI) President and CEO Oscar Ren-ren Reyes. Together, they examined areas for collaboration aimed at advancing digital finance and enabling greater cross-border financial connectivity.
Facilitated by the Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade), the discussions focused on the evolving fintech landscape, regulatory developments, and opportunities to strengthen cooperation between the two nations in building more inclusive, secure, and interoperable financial systems.
Cross-Border Initiatives and Financial Inclusion
The exchange also explored potential cross-border initiatives that could support the Philippines' financial inclusion agenda and accelerate digital finance adoption among underserved communities. Both countries seek to strengthen financial connectivity, foster innovation-led growth, and expand access to financial services through technology.
Villanueva emphasized the importance of international cooperation, stating, "We thank Austrade and FinTech Australia for facilitating meaningful exchanges between our two fintech ecosystems. These discussions provide valuable insights into how innovation, regulation, and collaboration can work together to expand financial inclusion and strengthen digital finance."
He added that continued engagement between industry leaders, regulators, and technology innovators would help accelerate the development of more accessible and resilient financial systems across the Asia-Pacific region. "By learning from each other's experiences and sharing best practices, we can collectively build more inclusive and future-ready financial ecosystems that benefit consumers, businesses, and communities across the region," Villanueva said.
Upcoming ASEAN Tech Summit
The discussions come ahead of the ASEAN (Manila) Tech Summit 2026, scheduled for July 28 to 29 in Manila. The summit is expected to convene policymakers, regulators, technology leaders, investors, and innovators from across the region to advance dialogue on digital transformation and emerging technologies.
