Lito Villanueva, Executive Vice President and Chief Innovations and Inclusion Officer at Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC), has been named “Digital Banking Champion of the Year” at the World Financial Innovation Series (WFIS) Philippines 2026 Awards. The recognition highlights the rapid scaling of RCBC’s digital ecosystem, which has turned grassroots merchant terminals, public pension cards, and mobile apps into primary financial access points for millions of Filipinos.
Recognition
Rather than relying strictly on physical branch networks, RCBC’s strategy centers on deploying digital services through everyday consumer touchpoints.
- Its flagship platforms, RCBC Pulz, RCBC DiskarTech, and RCBC ATM Go, have expanded access to government disbursements, cross-border banking, and localized cash withdrawals across all 82 Philippine provinces.
Several key digital rollouts drove the jury’s decision during the evaluation period:
- RCBC partnered with the Social Security System (SSS) to roll out the MySSS Card powered by RCBC DiskarTech, combining official pension identification with digital debit and banking capabilities.
- Through a collaboration with PDAX, RCBC customers will soon have access to digital gold.
- In mid-2026, RCBC eliminated InstaPay transfer fees across its Pulz and DiskarTech mobile apps to lower transaction barriers, following a security upgrade in early 2026 that enforced device-level hardware binding to protect user accounts.
Industry Context
Presented during the second day of WFIS Philippines 2026 at the Manila Marriott, Newport World Resorts, Pasay City, the event gathered more than 600 executives from across the country’s financial services and technology sectors. A panel of industry judges including leaders from Deloitte Philippines, KPMG, and the Credit Card Association of the Philippines evaluated nominees based on operational performance and measurable industry impact.
“The greatest recognition is not being celebrated for the change we have made,” Villanueva said regarding the honor. “It is knowing that, because of that change, more lives now have a chance to move forward.”
Broader Digital Momentum
The WFIS award adds to a series of regional and global accolades for RCBC, including recent recognitions at the FinanceAsia Awards, the Retail Banker International Asia Trailblazer Awards, and the PhilSec Awards.
In the first half of 2026, RCBC reported total assets of Php 1.41 trillion, supported by a 22% year-over-year increase in consumer loans driven by its expanded digital channel network and analytics-led acquisition strategy.
This article is published on BitPinas: RCBC Innovation Chief Lito Villanueva Named Digital Banking Champion of the Year at WFIS 2026
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