Bio

At its heart, banking is meant to empower people to do more. Financial solutions are just that- answers to limitations we all face. Yet somehow, those of us who face the greatest limitations in their daily lives - the farmers, tricycle drivers, those without a high school diploma, and/or the average Filipino living hand to mouth - have the least access to banking. I firmly believe that the way to address this disparity is through the smart and innovative application of technology. I’ve made a career out of this by pushing for UnionBank Philippine’s digital transformation, lowering costs to serve and allowing financial services to reach more people. Through UnionDigital, I built a unique Digital Bank specifically designed to address this issue. More than a bank, it also serves as a Technology Company that creates and powers custom FinTech solutions for communities - whether corporate, government, or retail - enabling them to do more at less cost and with greater operational efficiency. Other examples of my work in financial technologies include: > Project i2i, a blockchain remittance network that connects rural banks throughout the Philippines with Singapore banks, allowing Overseas Filipino Workers to send money home instantly, even to the remotest areas of the country where Universal banks cannot reach, without predatory fees. > Through the creation of UBx - a FinTech accelerator - we developed promising FinTech startups which created novel solutions to unique problems impeding the Philippines. For instance, DragonPay, a payments based FinTech, enabled Filipinos to make electronic payments via over the counter cash kiosks at nearby convenience stores. > Ushare developed online donations and collections platforms for non-profits, small businesses, and other analogue organizations, allowing them to participate in the new digital economy.