Philippine fintech groups partner on digital economy

RCBC, a Philippine bank, said FinTech Alliance.PH and the Australia Philippines Business Council (APBC) signed an agreement to cooperate on fintech and the digital economy.

The partnership will cover areas including digital bank, AI, cybersecurity, blockchain, financial inclusion, and digital connectivity.

The group also plan to support trade missions, conference, and industry engagement activities between Australia and the Philippines.

Both organizations push for closer regional cooperation on digital transformation and innovation.

🧠 Food for thought

Implications, context, and why it matters.

This pact follows national policy in Australia’s Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040 and the Philippines Development Plan 2023-2028 1.
The partnership builds on work from late 2023, when FinTech Alliance.PH signed a memorandum of understanding with the Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade), Australia’s trade and investment promotion agency, to expand fintech trade and investment ties 1.
Plans already include the Australia-Philippines Technology Forum in May 2026 in Sydney. It will bring together leaders from Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, the Philippine central bank, plus tech and industry groups 2.

The partnership adds to the Philippines’ push as it takes the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) chairship and backs the Asean Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA) 3.
Manila Tech Summit 2026 is being framed as a venue to move DEFA into practice. The aim is to support cross-border digital trade, trusted data flows, and interoperable payments. It also seeks more aligned rules across the region 4.
Through deals with partners such as Australia, the Philippines is trying to help knit together a Southeast Asian digital market of about 670 million people. That market could reach as much as US$2 trillion 5.