By Manila Standard – Tech
Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC) hosted members of the Asian Bankers Association (ABA) bringing together banking executives, regulators, technology leaders, and industry experts to discuss the future of banking in an increasingly digital world.
Held at the Collaboration Hub (CollHub) in the A.T. Yuchengco Centre in Bonifacio Global City, the forum served as a platform for regional conversations on emerging opportunities and challenges shaping the financial services industry.
The event, themed “Shaping the Future of Banking: Through Sustainability, Open Finance, AI, Cybersecurity, and Digital Innovation,” featured discussions on stablecoins, open finance, cybersecurity, payments tokenization, cross-border payments, financial health, agentic artificial intelligence, sustainability, and digital readiness.
ABA Deputy Secretary Amador Honrado said the association’s Short-Term Visiting Program is designed to strengthen knowledge exchange and capacity-building among member banks across the region.
“The primary objective of ABA’s short-term visiting program is to provide our member banks, particularly those from less developed countries, the opportunity to study and undergo training on specific aspects of the operations and facilities of the host banks, and learn from their experience and best practices,” Honrado said.
Among the speakers were Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Deputy Governors Lyn Javier and Mamerto Tangonan, Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center Executive Director and DICT Undersecretary Atty. Aboy Paraiso, Visa Asia Pacific Head of Consulting and AI Practice Manideep Gupta, Google Pay Asia Pacific Strategic Partnerships Lead T.G. Ramakrishnan, Mastercard Philippines Country Manager Jason Crasto, BSP Assistant Governor and Chief Sustainability Officer Pia Roman Tayag, former RCBC President and CEO Eugene S. Acevedo, and RCBC Executive Vice President and Chief Innovation and Inclusion Officer Lito Villanueva.
The discussions reflected the growing importance of collaboration among financial institutions, regulators, and technology providers as the banking industry adapts to rapid advances in artificial intelligence, digital finance, and cross-border financial services.
Villanueva thanked the Asian Bankers Association for selecting RCBC as host of the regional forum and emphasized the value of industry-wide dialogue in navigating emerging opportunities and challenges.
“On behalf of RCBC, we thank the Asian Bankers Association for entrusting us with the opportunity to host these important conversations. Forums such as these enable industry leaders to exchange ideas, share experiences, and collectively shape the future of banking in the region,” Villanueva said.
In his closing remarks, RCBC President and CEO Reggie Cariaso said the discussions highlighted the importance of ensuring that technological innovation remains grounded in trust and human impact.
“What I believe will be the true legacy of this event was our collective refusal to let technology outpace our humanity. We are not just mechanics optimizing machines. We are stewards of the public trust,” Cariaso said.
RCBC’s partnership with the Asian Bankers Association spans decades and traces back to the late Ambassador Alfonso T. Yuchengco, founder of the Yuchengco Group of Companies, who was among the organization’s longest-serving chairmen. Together with the late Dr. Jeffrey Koo Jr., founder of CTBC Bank and one of ABA’s founding visionaries, Yuchengco helped advance a shared vision of stronger regional cooperation among Asia’s financial institutions.
RCBC has remained at the forefront of digital banking innovation in the Philippines through initiatives such as RCBC Pulz, RCBC DiskarTech, and RCBC ATM Go. The bank has also pioneered products and partnerships aimed at expanding financial inclusion, strengthening digital payments, and connecting underserved communities to the formal financial system.
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