The Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) called for closer coordination among government agencies, law enforcement authorities, businesses and consumers as increasingly interconnected cyber threats put more Filipinos at risk of digital fraud.
The bank made the call during its annual CyberProtect Conference, which brought together more than 250 participants from government, law enforcement, banking, academia and local communities.
BPI president and CEO TG Limcaoco said a resilient digital ecosystem depends on strong institutions, informed consumers and active cooperation across sectors.
“Strong institutions continuously invest in systems and safeguards. Informed consumers serve as the first line of defense. Active collaboration brings together government, regulators, law enforcement, industry, and communities to address threats that no organization can solve alone,” Limcaoco said.
He said cybersecurity has evolved beyond a purely technical concern and is now a consumer, business and national issue requiring a coordinated response.
Among the speakers were Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas deputy governor Bernadette Romulo-Puyat, Department of Information and Communications Technology secretary Henry Aguda and National Privacy Commission chairman Johann Barcena.
Discussions covered the implementation of cybersecurity policies, national cyber defenses, data privacy protection, fraud prevention and cooperation among institutions involved in protecting consumers.
The conference also held separate sessions for industry executives, bank employees and law enforcement personnel. These tackled scam awareness, cybercrime investigations and strategies for preventing fraud.
As part of BPI’s 175th anniversary activities, the bank conducted a CyberAcademy session for law enforcement professionals.
Attendance at the conference increased from 183 participants in 2023 to 215 in 2024 and more than 250 this year, according to BPI.
