"2025 was truly a year where GCash doubled down on its commitment through partnership with the government in advancing digitalization in our country. We are moving beyond ear access to delivering world-class innovations that people use daily. We could not have reached these heights alone. Together, we have brought strengthened fiscal management, streamlined disbursements, and connections to the LGU." ~Ernest Cu, Mynt Chairman
The 5th GCash Digital Excellence Awards (GDEA), which honored national and local government agencies that are actively transforming how Filipinos can get public services more swiftly, safely, and entirely cashlessly, marked another momentous landmark for Philippine governance.
The subject for this year was "Recognizing Digital Pioneers: Empowering the Public Sector for a Modern, Inclusive Philippines." Of the 45 honorees countrywide, 32 were from Luzon, indicating the region's growing commitment to financial modernization and digital governance. The Grand Hyatt Manila in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, hosted the event.
Thanks to GCash's digital payment infrastructure, these organizations have made significant strides in developing government services that are not only efficient but also accessible to all residents, regardless of location or circumstance.
Leading the example in the Ilocos Region, the Bauang Public Market in the Municipality of Bauang, La Union, was honored for encouraging sustainable financial digitalization across public market transactions, making cashless transactions commonplace for both customers and businesses.
Through better online service options and secure digital payment methods, the Metropolitan Tuguegarao Water District in the Cagayan Valley was acknowledged for improving citizen access to water-related services.
Central Luzon was a significant cluster of honorees, with the City of San Fernando in Pampanga, the City Government of Baliwag and its Baliwag Public Market in Bulacan, the Municipality of Morong, and the Provincial Government of Bataan being the five institutions that were cited. In both urban and rural locations, these LGUs have increased the scope of their online services and put in place digital payment methods for market transactions, utilities, and municipal levies.
The Metropolitan Naga Water District was also honored for Digital Transformation Excellence in Utility Efficiency, demonstrating how utilities are utilizing digital tools to enhance service delivery. In the meantime, CALABARZON added four reputable organizations to the list: the Municipality of Tanay, the City Government of Santa Rosa in Laguna, the City Government of Imus in Cavite, and the Pililla Water District in Rizal. Each of these organizations is putting in place traceable, user-friendly digital systems that make it easier for citizens to access government services.
Luzon's beneficiaries include the Municipality of Mauban, Quezon, and its Mauban Public Market; the City of Lucena; the Provincial Government of Quezon; and Antonio L. Raymundo, Jr., President of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines - Bataan Chapter. They were recognized for their efforts to digitize public services across provincial municipalities and expand online payment options, bringing contemporary governance closer to the areas that most need it.
The ceremony also recognized several national government agencies for advancing digital transformation and financial inclusion in public service. The Department of Transportation's Metro Rail Transit Line 3 received the Digital Breakthrough Growth Award for expanding the usage of digital payments in commuter services. The Department of Social Welfare and Development, the Land Bank of the Philippines, and the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation were selected Champions for Digital Advocacy and Connectivity in an effort to expand access to digital financial services. The Home Development Mutual Fund (Pag-IBIG Fund) was awarded the Leader in Sustainable Financial Digitalization Award for its long-standing digital initiatives, while the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Philippine Statistics Authority, and the Bureau of the Treasury were named Catalysts in Financial Inclusion for improving digital access and transparency in public financial systems. The Department of Trade and Industry also received the Excellence in Digital Transformation Award for integrating digital platforms into services that support Filipino businesses.
We are one with the government in the mission to serve every Filipino. Everything we do is anchored in our shared vision of finance for all. Every leader here tonight is a testament to the belief that no Filipino should be left behind in the digital economy." ~Cleo Santos, GCash VP and Head of Public Sector
The GDEA's award categories were designed to accommodate organizations at various phases of their digital transformation. While the Digital Breakthrough Growth Award recognized first-year adopters, the Excellence in Digital Transformation Award recognized companies that demonstrated steady growth in digital transactions between 2022 and 2025.
While awards for Digital Transformation Excellence in Healthcare, Education, and Utility Efficiency offered sector-specific recognition, the Catalyst in Financial Inclusion Award recognized programs that greatly expanded financial access for impoverished Filipinos.
Long-standing partnerships were honored with the Leader in Sustainable Financial Digitalization Award, which is only granted to companies who have collaborated with GCash for at least five years. Governments should require payment methods and cashless transactions, according to the Leader in Sustainable Financial Digitalization for Public Market. In these public markets, at least 70% of active vendors use GCash as payment from their customers.
The figures illustrate the motion. The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas reports that over 97% of government-to-government and government-to-employee transactions are now completed digitally, and retail digital payments account for over 57% of all transactions in the nation.
Setting the bar for what digital transformation must achieve, Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) Director General Ernesto Perez stressed that results must ultimately be felt by citizens.
"Digital excellence within government rests on tangible results experienced by individuals and enterprises. It is seen in faster transactions, simplified requirements, dependable payment channels, and platforms that reach communities regardless of geography or circumstance. Through this initiative, GCash and ARTA continue to champion the goals by promoting ease of doing business, enhancing digital payment systems, and fostering stronger collaboration between government and the private sector." ~Director General Ernesto Perez, Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA)
By putting the spotlight on Luzon's digital trailblazers, the 5th GDEA reinforces that the path to a modern, inclusive Philippines is already being built, one LGU, one transaction, and one empowered citizen at a time.
For more information, visit https://www.gcash.com.
About GCash
GCash is the Philippines’ #1 Finance Super App and Largest Cashless Ecosystem. Through the GCash App, users can easily purchase prepaid airtime; pay bills via partner billers nationwide; send and receive money anywhere in the Philippines, even to other bank accounts; purchase from over 6 million partner merchants and social sellers; and get access to savings, credit, loans, insurance and invest money, and so much more, all at the convenience of their smartphones. Its mobile wallet operations are handled by G-Xchange, Inc. (GXI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mynt, the first and only $5 billion unicorn in the Philippines.
GCash is a staunch supporter of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly UN SDGs 5,8,10, and 13, which focus on safety & security, financial inclusion, diversity, equity, and inclusion as well as taking urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts, respectively.
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