Palawan Group maps a people-first future for financial services

Insider Spotlight

• Palawan Group is sharpening its strategy around digital finance, consumer behavior and financial inclusion as technology reshapes how Filipinos manage money
• Digital payments accounted for 57.4 percent of Philippine retail payment volume in 2024, according to data presented at the Palawan Marketing Summit 2026
• Palawan says scaling requires more than technology, with customer needs, accessibility and trust remaining central to its growth strategy
  
  
  

Palawan Group of Companies is positioning customer insight, technology and financial inclusion at the center of its growth strategy as shifts in digital payments and consumer behavior reshape Philippine financial services.

The company brought together industry experts, regulators, researchers and executives at its two-day Palawan Marketing Summit 2026 in Pasig City. Carrying the theme “Build to Scale: Shaping the Future,” the event examined fintech, regulation, economic trends, consumer behavior, and artificial intelligence.

Meaningful financial inclusion

The discussions highlighted an increasingly digital financial system that still requires traditional channels. While digital payments represented 57.4 percent of retail payment volume in 2024, the summit emphasized that meaningful financial inclusion also depends on trust, ease of use, financial literacy and access to relevant services.

Speakers included FinTech Alliance.PH chair and RCBC executive vice president and chief innovation and inclusion officer Lito Villanueva, along with Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas officials who discussed digital-payment policy and financial inclusion.

‘Building to scale’

Palawan Group president and CEO Karlo M. Castro said the changing environment requires the company to stay focused on customer needs while developing capabilities for future growth.

“Building to scale is not simply about growing bigger. It is about building the right capabilities to respond to a changing market and, ultimately, create greater value for the Filipinos we serve. The better we understand our customers and the environment around them, the better positioned we are to build for what comes next,” Castro said in a press statement.

The summit also examined how financial pressures, family considerations, media habits, and technology are influencing Filipino consumers. Research sessions covered pawning and e-wallet behavior, media consumption, Gen Z and AI-powered marketing.

 Karlo M. Castro 

Palawan Group president and CEO 

Better customer experience

Palawan Group chief marketing officer Bernard V. Kaibigan said technology and data must ultimately translate into better customer experiences.

“The consumer is changing, and we have to change with them. Data and technology help us understand these shifts, but what matters is how we turn those insights into more relevant products, services, and experiences. At the end of the day, it is about making decisions that create real value for our Sukis,” Kaibigan said. —Vanessa Hidalgo| Ed: Corrie S. Narisma