Digital payment firm PayMaya has further expanded its foothold in the country as it strengthened its ecosystem in North Luzon through a partnership with Baguio Flower Festival Foundation Inc. (BFFI).
With the partnership, PayMaya will equip merchants in the summer capital of the Philippines with its QR-based payments in time for the Panagbenga Festival 2019.
During the most anticipated Panagbenga festival, Session Road, Baguio’s best-known thoroughfare, is transformed into a sloping fair ground with stalls of local merchants, all powered with PayMaya QR.
Also called Session Road in Bloom, the famous two-way road in the business district of the city showcases the festivities of Baguio’s annual flower festival, a celebration that reflects Baguio and Codillera?s history, traditions, and values.
?We are indeed very happy that PayMaya QR is now in Baguio City. With the introduction of PayMaya in this year?s Panagbenga festival, particularly in all stalls in our Session Road in Bloom, payments will be much faster and secure,? said Elmer Datuin, Baguio City councilor and concurrent chairperson of Baguio City?s committee of tourism and co-chairperson of the Panagbenga Executive Committee for 2019.
?Having PayMaya QR during the Panagbenga festival and beyond will also give our local and foreign tourists the impression that Baguio has come a long way. We are now more progressive and we have leveled up to be at par with other countries as far as payments is concerned,? he added.
For his part, Butch Conejos Jr., PayMaya channel head for domestic business, said: ?We at PayMaya are excited to power the participating merchants of Panagbenga Festival 2019, the first cashless festival in the country. This is part of our overall initiative to accelerate cashless ecosystems nationwide. After this, we hope to attract and encourage more merchants and consumers in Baguio City to be part of the cashless movement.?
Baguio City mayor Mauricio Domogan said the city government of Baguio and its people are delighted that PayMaya QR is now available in the city, particularly during this year’s Panagbenga Festival.
?Problems pertaining to handling of cash such as consumers being a victim of criminal activities will be minimized if not eradicated. Business owners will also be able to closely monitor all the payment transactions in his or her business,” he said.
PayMaya?s presence in Baguio, through its partnership with BFFI, is part of its trailblazing initiative of building cashless communities in North Luzon and the whole Philippines. This is in line with the National Retail Payment System initiative led by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas that aims to increase the share of electronic transactions in the country by 20% in 2020.
To support this vision, PayMaya has launched game-changing innovations including PayMaya QR. Various merchants nationwide are now equipped with the QR payments technology.
In Baguio, in particular, locals and tourists can enjoy the convenience, security, and speed of PayMaya QR when they go for Baguio?s must-try local treats such as the strawberry taho, strawberry ice cream, peanut brittle, and ube jam as well as when purchasing their pasalubongs from micro-merchants stationed at Strawberry Farm and Burnham Park.
Homegrown restaurants such as Amare La Cucina, Basemnt Pub and Lounge, Redbuggy Burgers, and Grandma?s Kitchen also accept payments via PayMaya QR.
Must-do outdoor activities in the city such as biking and boat/ swan boat riding at Burnham Park as well as transportation services to bring you around Baguio?s different spots are also powered by PayMaya QR.
Aside from convenience, festival-goers and Baguio residents can have the chance to get as much as 100% cashback on their purchases whenever they use PayMaya QR, for a minimum P100 payment and a maximum of P1000 in cashback per transaction.
?The end goal is to empower both merchants and consumers all over Baguio with digital payment solutions because going ?cashless? is more convenient, secure, and fast. Soon, more establishments, micro-merchants, and transportation providers in Baguio will begin accepting payments via PayMaya QR, making it a full-fledged cashless community,? said Conejos.
