Speaking before thousands of local legislators at the 2026 Philippine Councilors League National Congress, Coins.ph CEO Wei Zhou said governments must adapt to a new reality where citizens increasingly expect instant, digital services.
“Digital payments have already reshaped how Filipinos transact in the private sector,” Zhou said. “Public services must evolve to meet that same expectation.”
According to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, digital payments accounted for 57.4% of retail payment volume in 2024, signaling a significant shift in consumer behavior.
Why it matters
Zhou described inefficient administrative processes as an “invisible tax” that drains resources from local communities.
Manual payment systems often require staff to reconcile transactions by hand, leading to slower reporting and increased risk from cash handling.
These inefficiencies also create long queues and delays for citizens accessing government services.
Even small inefficiencies, Zhou said, can have large consequences.
“Even a 1-percent inefficiency in a P500 million revenue base equals P5 million,” Zhou said. “How many scholarships is that? How many classrooms could that build?”
The surge of digital adoption
The shift toward digital payments is accelerating across the country, supported by interoperable systems such as QR Ph.
Coins.ph said the monthly value of QR Ph transactions processed on its platform jumped from P559 million to P29.95 billion within 12 months in 2025 — a sign that consumers are increasingly comfortable with digital transactions.
Zhou said the trend suggests that citizens already have the tools to transact digitally and are simply waiting for government services to catch up.
How digital payments could help LGUs
Coins.ph outlined several areas where digital infrastructure could improve local governance.
For revenue collection, digital payment systems can streamline transactions for business permits and real property taxes, reducing queues at city halls while improving collection rates.
For public assistance programs, digital disbursement systems can ensure that financial aid reaches beneficiaries instantly and with greater transparency.
Digital payment infrastructure can also support operational continuity, allowing transactions to continue even when government offices close due to typhoons, flooding, or other disruptions.
According to Zhou, shifting from manual processes that take up to 45 minutes to digital transactions that take around 15 seconds could significantly improve public trust in government services.
Proven infrastructure
Coins.ph says its platform is designed to support large-scale institutional use.
The BSP-regulated digital asset platform has operated for more than 12 years, serving 18 million registered users and processing an average of 140 million monthly transactions.
Its infrastructure connects with over 120 banks and e-wallets, with 99.9 percent uptime and API response times as low as 50 milliseconds, according to the company.
What’s next
Coins.ph is encouraging LGU leaders to begin integrating digital payment systems as part of broader governance modernization efforts.
“Modernization will happen — the question is timing,” Zhou said. “Design decisions are leadership decisions. Local leaders have the opportunity to make public services more efficient, resilient, and inclusive for every Filipino.” —Ed: Corrie S. Narisma
