MANILA, PHILIPPINES — Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC) earned two major recognitions at The Asian Banker Philippine Awards 2026 for its pioneering digital banking innovations: the MySSS Card powered by RCBC DiskarTech and the RCBC Pulz U.S. Virtual Account.
The MySSS Card powered by RCBC DiskarTech, in partnership with the Social Security System (SSS), won “Best Growth Strategy in Digital Banking in the Philippines,” while the RCBC Pulz U.S. Virtual Account was recognized as “Best Digital Ecosystem and Platform Initiative in the Philippines.”
Launched in 2025, the two solutions reflect RCBC’s efforts to address evolving customer needs and advance financial inclusion and digital payments in the Philippines.
RCBC underscored the “three-in-one” phygital or physical-digital blended banking experience of the MySSS Card, combining access to the SSS digital platform, an RCBC DiskarTech digital banking account, and a debit card in one solution. The proposition provides a more accessible entry point to formal financial services for Filipinos who may face challenges with traditional bank onboarding and documentary requirements.
Meanwhile, the bank highlighted the RCBC Pulz U.S. Virtual Account powered by Meridian as a response to the growing community of Filipino freelancers, virtual assistants, and digital professionals who may not have a U.S. address or Social Security Number (SSN). As a cross-border digital banking solution, RCBC Pulz also enables customers in the Philippines to receive and manage U.S. dollar payments and facilitate international transfers.
The Asian Banker recognized RCBC’s outstanding leadership in expanding digital banking through ecosystem-led innovation and strategic partnerships, saying that the two winning initiatives demonstrate how RCBC combines large-scale customer acquisition and financial inclusion with an integrated digital platform that connects cross-border payments, banking, and value-added financial services into seamless customer journeys.
As The Asian Banker noted, the awards position RCBC as a “leading example in the Philippines of how ecosystem thinking can accelerate digital banking growth while delivering practical and measurable customer value.”
Reggie Cariaso, President and Chief Executive Officer of RCBC, said the recognitions affirm the bank’s strategic focus on translating innovation into solutions that create value for customers and advance financial inclusion.
“These awards reflect our commitment to building technology that solves real, everyday challenges for Filipinos. Every digital solution we develop is designed to make financial services more accessible, intuitive, and impactful,” Cariaso said.
Lito Villanueva, Executive Vice President and Chief Innovation and Inclusion Officer at RCBC, expressed his gratitude to The Asian Banker for recognizing the efforts of his team at the Digital Enterprise and Innovations Group (DEIG) in developing relevant and contextual banking solutions for an increasingly digital consumer market.
“I would like to thank The Asian Banker for recognizing our efforts and once again putting RCBC on the global stage for solutions that excite, inspire and transform. RCBC remains committed to offering banking services that reflect the dreams and aspirations of everyday Filipinos,” Villanueva said.
RCBC continues to build on its digital banking momentum. Recently, the bank introduced the first global EMV-standard open-loop payment system for train fares in the Philippines on LRT-2, registering two-digit growth month-on-month, transforming turnstiles into digital payment channels and allowing debit cardholders, including MySSS Card users, as well as Google Pay and Apple Pay users and e-wallet customers to pay for train rides using their digital financial tools. RCBC has also waived select bank transfer fees, further supporting the bank’s efforts to make digital transactions more accessible and encourage wider adoption of cashless payments.