FinTech Alliance PH Named Private Sector Representative to CICC

Manila, March 30, 2026   - The FinTech Alliance Philippines has been selected as the private sector representative to the Executive Committee (ExeCom) of the Cybercrime Investigation and  Coordinating  Center  (CICC),  reinforcing  the  critical  role  of  industry  collaboration  in combating cybercrime and strengthening the country’s digital financial ecosystem. 

The designation was approved during the CICC’s 12th Executive Committee Meeting held on February 26, 2026, and is subject to final endorsement by the Office of the President. 

Established under Republic Act No. 10175, the CICC, under the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), is mandated to coordinate national efforts to prevent and suppress  cybercrime.  Its  Executive  Committee  brings  together  representatives  from government,  private  sector,  non  government  organizations,  and  academe  to  guide  policy direction and implementation. 

The CICC recognized FinTech Alliance PH for its strong network, deep industry expertise, and technical capabilities, key enablers in enhancing public private collaboration to address evolving cyber threats and safeguard the country’s digital and financial systems. 

Founded in 2017, FinTech Alliance PH is the country’s largest fintech industry association, with over 150 corporate members collectively driving more than 95% of digital financial transaction volume  in  the  Philippines  and  serving  an  aggregate total of 110 million digital accounts of Filipinos. 

 The Alliance is also the first fintech industry association in Asia to institutionalize an industry led Code  of  Conduct  and  Code  of  Ethics,  setting  the  standard  for  responsible  innovation, governance, and consumer protection across the digital finance ecosystem. In 2023, it launched a  massive  stakeholder  wide  cyber  hygiene  and  consumer  protection  campaign, #WagMagpalokoMagingScamAlerto, aimed at empowering Filipinos to detect and avoid scams. This year, it further strengthened industry defenses through the Fraud Intelligence Data Sharing or FIDS network, enabling real time collaboration and intelligence exchange among ecosystem players to combat fraud.  

As part of this appointment, Lito Villanueva, Founding Chairman of FinTech Alliance Philippines, will sit in the DICT CICC Executive Committee representing the private sector through FinTech Alliance PH.

Lito  Villanueva  is  widely  regarded  as  the  Philippines’  foremost  thought  leader  in  digital transformation and sustainable financial inclusion.  As Executive Vice President and Chief Innovation and Inclusion Officer of RCBC, he has led the bank’s digital transformation, resulting in over 400 global and regional awards, including six consecutive Best Bank for Digital recognitions from Euromoney, making RCBC the first bank in Asia to achieve this distinction.  

Widely known as “Mr. FinTech of the Philippines,” Villanueva has been recognized as one of PeopleAsia’s Men Who Matter 2025 and has received accolades such as Asia Trailblazer and Digital Innovator of the Year. He is also an Agora Awards recipient and was named among the Top 20 LinkedIn Influencers in the Philippines.  He  serves  as  Chief Digital Transformation Advisor of the Yuchengco Group of Companies, appointed  Global  Ambassador  of  the  15-member  economies  Asia  FinTech  Alliance,  and Founding Chairman of FinTech Alliance PH, the country’s largest digital finance industry group.  Villanueva holds a Master in Public Administration, magna cum laude, from the University of Santo  Tomas  and  a  Master  in  National  Security  Administration  from  the  National Defense College  of  the  Philippines.  He  has  also  completed  executive  programs  in  leadership  and innovation at the University of Cambridge and the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. 

“This  appointment  underscores  the  urgency  of  strengthening  trust,  security,  and  resilience across  our  digital financial ecosystem,”   said Villanueva. “We are honored to represent the private sector in the CICC Executive Committee and are committed to deepening public private collaboration to combat cybercrime, protect Filipino consumers, and uphold the integrity of our rapidly growing digital economy.”  “We look forward to the Alliance’s active participation and sustained partnership in advancing cybersecurity and protecting Filipino consumers,” said DICT Undersecretary Renato A. Paraiso, Executive Director of the CICC.  As the country’s premier fintech association, FinTech Alliance PH has been at the forefront of advancing  digital  finance,  advocating  responsible  innovation,  and  strengthening  consumer protection.  Its  inclusion  in  the  CICC ExeCom is expected to further accelerate coordinated efforts across sectors to combat cybercrime and promote trust in digital platforms. 

About FinTech Alliance PH  FinTech Alliance PH, established in 2017, is the country’s premier and largest organization of fintech companies and digital financial service providers. With over 150 corporate members, it represents  more  than 95% of digital transaction volume and serves over 110 million digital accounts of Filipinos. It is also the first in Asia to institutionalize an industry-led Code of Conduct and Code of Ethics and continues to lead initiatives on cybersecurity, fraud prevention, and consumer education.  About the DICT Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC)  The CICC is the central government body tasked with coordinating policies and operational responses to cybercrime in the Philippines, ensuring a unified and effective national approach to cybersecurity.   

UP, Converge raise data center competency for university IT leads

ANGELES CITY, March 27, 2026 — The country’s premier university, the University of the Philippines (UP), in partnership with leading fiber broadband and technology provider Converge ICT Solutions Inc., is training the information technology leads of  UP campuses nationwide at the newly-inaugurated Converge Data Center in Angeles City, Pampanga, concretizing the collaboration between the two institutions under their memorandum of understanding signed on September 29, 2025.

The three-day program covers data center operations, server infrastructure, cloud and artificial intelligence technologies, cybersecurity, and sustainable technology practices. It is structured around the UP Data Center Staff Competency Framework — a nine-domain professional development framework the UP Office of the Vice President for Digital Transformation (UP OVPDx) released in November 2025 to professionalize IT operations across the UP System.

“The training directly addresses at least six of the framework's nine domains — from governance and compliance to emergency response and business continuity,” said Prof. Peter Sy, Vice President for Digital Transformation, University of the Philippines System.

The Converge Angeles Data Center, inaugurated last March 20, is the Converge Group’s largest facility — a Tier III-certified complex designed for continuous uptime even under infrastructure stress. UP participants are touring its Security Operations Center, Data Command Center, Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) and Battery Room, Power House, and Satellite Earth Station. The data center followed international and industry best practices including ASHRAE, ANSI/TIA-942, and Uptime.

“The program offers something rarer than a signed agreement: a working model. Institutional IT partnerships typically stall between intent and execution — between the MOU and the measurable outcome. Here, UP personnel are not in a seminar room reviewing slides about data centers — they are standing inside one. That distinction is what separates digital transformation policy from operational readiness,” Sy pointed out.

"This training is proof that the UP–Converge partnership is not a ceremonial exercise," said Sy. “Our people are inside a working data center, learning from the engineers, executives, and professionals who operate it every day. That is how we build real institutional capability — not through frameworks on paper, but through practice.”

Organized under the Converge University with support from the Converge Corporate Communications and Public Relations (CCPR) team, senior Converge executives led the training sessions together with outside experts, with support from global technology leaders H3C and Dell Philippines.

"Converge is committed to building digital capability not just within our company but across institutions that shape the country's future," said Converge CEO and Co-Founder Dennis Anthony Uy. "Working with UP — the national university — allows us to contribute directly to the next generation of Filipino technology leaders."

While deepening the UP–Converge MOU collaboration, the immersion also advances two priorities under UP President Angelo A. Jimenez's Strategic Plan 2023–2029 — Flagship Program No. 6 (Active and Collaborative Partnerships) and No. 10 (Digital Transformation).

It contributes to the UP OVPDx's mandate of system-wide upskilling, structured around the Data Center Staff Competency Framework — an IT governance instrument aligned with ISO/IEC 38500 principles, that positions industry partnerships as essential to building institutional capacity in an increasingly digital higher education environment.

Anchored in the Framework, the immersion delivered concrete, measurable outcomes such as completed role-based certifications, established refresher training cycles, initiated paired skill audits and compliance reviews, and a regularly updated documentation system.

For Converge, the collaboration signals an expanding institutional role — from telecommunications provider to active contributor in national digital human capital development, as the Group expands its data center operations nationwide.

About the University of the Philippines
The University of the Philippines, established in 1908, is the country's national university and premier institution of higher learning. With campuses nationwide, UP is committed to providing advanced instruction and research across multiple disciplines while serving as a repository of scholarly thought and intellectual leadership for the nation.
About Converge ICT Solutions Inc.
Converge Information and Communications Technology Solutions, Inc. (PSE:CNVRG) is the fastest-growing fixed broadband service provider in the Philippines. It is the first to run an end-to-end pure fiber internet network in the country, providing Filipinos simple, fast, and reliable connectivity. Aside from broadband services, Converge also offers integrated data center and network solutions services.
With over 889,000 kilometers of fiber optic assets nationwide, it has one of the most extensive fiber networks in the Philippines. With this fiber-powered network, Converge provides premium world-class digital experience for residential, enterprise, and wholesale customers.

#UPDigitalTransformation #UPxConverge #TechForGood

𝐊𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐚 𝐚𝐭 𝐊𝐖𝐅, 𝐍𝐚𝐠𝐩𝐮𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐚 𝐬𝐚 𝐄𝐩𝐢𝐬𝐲𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐚𝐠𝐬𝐚𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐰𝐚 𝐧𝐠 𝐕𝐂𝐀𝐃

Nagpulong ang Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF) at Office of the Court Administrator (OCA) noong 10 Marso 2026, 10:00 nu, sa tanggapan ng Korte Suprema hinggil sa tuntuning ipinatutupad ng Korte Suprema sa Filipino Sign Language (FSL) sa Hudikatura.

Nilinaw ng dalawang panig ang mga proseso sa pagsasagawa ng Visual Communication Assessment for the Deaf (VCAD) kabilang ang pagtalakay sa dokumentasyon at pagbabayad sa Deaf Assessor, alinsunod sa A.M. No. 21-12-04-SC (Re: Implementing Rules and Regulations of the Filipino Sign Language Act). Nakaangkla rin ito sa Batas Republika 11106 o FSL Act na naglalayong palakasin ang akses ng Deaf Community sa mga serbisyong panghudikatura at maisulong ang ingklusibidad na pamamahala bilang tugon sa Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations (SPJI) ng Korte Suprema.

Dumalo mulâ sa KWF si Dr. Benjamin M. Mendillo Jr., Komisyoner sa Pangasiwaan at Pananalapi, kasáma ang Yunit ng FSL sa pangunguna ni G. Patrick Bryan Q. Ablaza, Senior Deaf Advocacy Officer; Bb. Diana Pria Vizmanos, Deaf Advocacy Officer; at mga Admin Assistant na sina Bb. Nicah Lagrimas at Bb. Mitzi Mae Tabao. Kinatawan naman nina Hon. Lilian Barribal-Co, Assistant Court Administrator, at Atty. Andrea Mae E. Oraciln ang OCA.

Manila City partners with Qadena Foundation to pilot blockchain-based budget transparency system

The City Government of Manila has taken a significant step toward strengthening transparency and fiscal accountability following the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Qadena Foundation. The partnership introduces a blockchain-powered initiative aimed at improving the visibility, traceability, and integrity of the city’s budget cycle and financial management processes.

Under the agreement, Manila will explore the use of blockchain technology as a trusted public ledger that can record and publish financial and administrative information directly from the city government’s existing core systems. The system is designed to address long-standing challenges in public financial reporting, including delayed disclosures, fragmented documentation, and difficulties in verifying the authenticity of records. By enabling data to be recorded at its original source and anchored onto a tamper-resistant blockchain ledger, the initiative seeks to ensure that financial information remains verifiable, auditable, and resistant to unauthorized modifications.

Unlike traditional centralized systems, the blockchain infrastructure will operate through a hybrid public–private consortium network. The network is open source and allows participation from various stakeholders, including government agencies, civic organizations, and academic institutions that may act as node operators and validators. By distributing validation responsibilities across a broader ecosystem, the initiative aims to strengthen institutional trust and create a collaborative oversight structure for monitoring public financial data.

The Qadena Foundation, which currently brings together 18 consortium partners from across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, will serve as the coordinating body for technical collaboration and knowledge exchange. The organization will help ensure that participating government entities receive the expertise required to design, implement, and govern blockchain-based systems effectively. The foundation will also facilitate coordination among stakeholders who wish to contribute to the development and validation of the network.

Through this partnership, Manila City is positioning itself as a pilot environment for digital governance innovation in the Philippines. The initiative is expected to produce operational insights that other local government units (LGUs) may study and potentially replicate as part of their own modernization and transparency programs. By testing the system in a real government environment, the project aims to demonstrate how blockchain technology can support better public financial management and accountability.

Manila Mayor Francisco "Isko" Moreno Domagoso emphasized that the project builds on Manila’s earlier digital initiatives and aims to raise the standard of transparency in local governance.

“From Go Manila App being the template of most LGUs, we would be glad to be the first to embark on a true transparency portal using the latest technology and in accordance with the CADENA Act,” Domagoso said.

The initiative will also serve as a model for implementing blockchain-based transparency systems within local governments. According to Qadena Foundation trustee Ann Cuisia, the project will begin with a specific department before expanding to the rest of the city government.

“We intend to make them the pilot of the template that we have built for CADENA_LGU, beginning with the Assessor's Office and then the rest of the LGU departments,” Cuisia said.

By Bob Reyes 

Philippine power supply for Q2 2026 remains sufficient, but thin reserves leave grid at risk amid demand surge and plant outages

QUEZON CITY, 25 March 2026 — The Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao grids are projected to have sufficient power supply from April to June 2026 but reserve margins remain thin, according to the latest report of the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC).

That said, power supply margins remain highly vulnerable to changes in demand, delays in project completion, unplanned outages of major power plants, and constraints in the high-voltage direct current (HVDC) lines. 

In the latest “Philippine Power Outlook: Reviewing the Adequacy of Power Supply for April to June 2026” launched by ICSC yesterday, findings showed that the Luzon grid will have adequate reserves in the second quarter of this year, given the timely delivery of committed capacities during the first half of 2026. Notable power plants among these are Phase 1 of the Terra Solar project, with a total projected capacity of 1,785.7 megawatts (MW), and the Bugallon Solar Power Project, with a projected capacity of 530.4 MW.

The Visayas grid is expected to maintain normal reserves primarily through HVDC imports of up to 450 MW from Mindanao and 250 MW from Luzon. However, it is projected to experience yellow grid alerts in May, even with imports from across the country. This may be further aggravated if Luzon and Mindanao need to restrict exports as their reserve margins tighten. 

Mindanao, meanwhile, is projected to maintain normal reserve levels throughout the second quarter, driven by sufficient existing generation capacity that allows it to meet demand even while exporting power to Visayas. The grid’s tightest period is expected in late April, which may prompt possible reductions in HVDC exports when reserve margins narrow.

This analysis is based on the 2025-2027 Weekly Power Outlook published by the NGCP in December 2024, with updates integrated from the Department of Energy’s (DOE) List of Existing and Committed power plants as of November 2025. ICSC adopted conservative assumptions in its findings, taking into account forced outages of about 700 to 800 MW.

“If additional power plants go offline beyond what is expected, this could further aggravate the power outlook and potentially lead to a more grave outcome, as available supply would be reduced,” said Jephraim Manansala, ICSC’s Chief Data Scientist and one of the authors of the Philippine Power Outlook report.

ICSC has released its Power Outlook report annually since 2021, estimating power supply and demand in the country ahead of the summer months, when electricity demand is typically at its peak. This year, the first grid alert was raised over the Visayas grid in January, which is considered a period of low demand. 

“This grid alert highlights the structural vulnerabilities that persist in the Philippine power system; it demonstrates that power supply challenges are not solely driven by high summer demand but are fundamentally linked to chronic forced outages of baseload plants and inadequate reserve margins,” said report co-author and ICSC Senior Data Analyst Charles Jason Diaz.

Impacts of the escalating conflict in the Middle East have also exposed energy security risks in the Philippines, as the country heavily relies on imported fossil fuels for power. Extensive damage to Qatar's Ras Laffan liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility, the world’s largest LNG export hub, also puts the Philippines at risk of higher electricity prices and exacerbated power supply issues in the immediate and long-term. 

The impact of these events may also be particularly significant in off-grid areas in the Philippines, where power supply is heavily reliant on diesel power plants. This can potentially result in reduced operating hours and constrained power supply, given the current availability of fuel reserves. 

Among renewable energy options, solar is a low-hanging fruit that can be deployed quickly to improve access to electricity and provide communities with a more reliable supply. Rapid deployment of solar rooftops and community solar projects can help stabilize local grids and contribute to an affordable, reliable, and secure power supply. 

“We have already identified a significant amount of available potential solar rooftop spaces across the country, and detected over 3,000 MW of existing solar rooftop capacity. Solar and battery are already cheaper than coal and LNG. It does not have the problem of land conversion and interconnection, and it generates power where it is needed,” said Atty. Pedro Maniego Jr., ICSC’s Senior Policy Advisor, citing data from the organization’s solar mapping tool Solar Power Estimation of Capacities and Tracking Using Machine Learning (SPECTRUM).

Amid these concerns, ICSC emphasizes the need for improved energy efficiency and conservation, strict compliance with the Grid Operating and Maintenance Program (GOMP), and utilizing energy imports and exports among the major island grids as short-term solutions. Looking ahead, the organization also recommends concerted efforts to transition to a flexible and modernized power grid, and more distributed and diversified power generation that makes use of the country’s wealth of indigenous, renewable energy sources. 

“The bottomline is that we have plenty of renewable energy (RE) resources. During crises, RE tends to become a hot topic — yet the technologies themselves have already existed for quite some time. While strong policies are already in place, their implementation hasn’t been as aggressive as needed in the past,” said Engr. Gaspar Escobar Jr., ICSC’s Grid Modernization Advisor. “There is a clear need to intensify and accelerate RE deployment even beyond this crisis, so we can eventually move away from our dependence on imported fossil fuels and achieve energy security.”

ABOUT

The Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities is a Philippine-based non-governmental organization that advances climate, energy, and low-carbon solutions to enable fair and climate-resilient development at the national and international levels.

Malta Gaming Authority hack raises Significant Concerns

Organized crime enablement’. That’s the hefty claim leveled by a German hacker who claims to have breached Malta Gaming Authority’s systems and is threatening to release data she says is damning. 

The MGA’s response so far has been limited, and the scope of the hack and authorities’ response is unclear, but the penetration of one of the world’s top iGaming licensors is raising concerns regardless.

 Meanwhile, in Singapore, Marina Bay Sands’ multi-billion-dollar expansion is going ahead under contractor Woh Hup, significantly increasing the operator’s footprint by 2030. 

And in Macau, tourism boomed in February, as the Chinese New Year holidays boosted visitation to 4.2 million, up by nearly one-third yearly.

Taiwan's most wanted gambling fugitive killed in Sihanoukville

The road has to end somewhere. For infamous Taiwanese gambling fugitive Lin Bingwen, that somewhere was Sihanoukville. 

The shooting of the prominent figure brings the focus back to organized crime’s dominance in the black market economy, and the danger of illicit operations. 

Looking to the regulated market, Resorts World Sentosa says its RWS 2.0 revamp will “appeal to a broader spectrum of guests”, helping increase its competitiveness. And in the online world, 

Sportradar has launched its own iGaming brand Playradar, calling it a ‘hybrid’ blend of sports and online casino products