Mobile e-wallet PalawanPay showcased its digital payment ecosystem and financial services for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) because the official e-wallet partner of the BIYAYA Sustainable Living Festival 2026 which ran from July 17 to 19 at SM Megamall.
BIYAYA festival brought together sustainability advocates, social enterprises, coffee producers, artisans, and purpose-driven businesses.
PalawanPay powered cashless transactions across the event, including the festival’s Coffee Village, allowing visitors and merchants to make digital payments while accessing the broader suite of Palawan Group’s financial services.
Palawan Group of Corporations vice chairman and chief financial officer Lilian Castro-Selda said the partnership aligns with the corporate’s goal of expanding financial access while supporting Filipino entrepreneurs.
“Our partnership with BIYAYA reflects the importance of collaboration in creating more connected communities, while digital solutions like PalawanPay help individuals and businesses embrace more convenient and inclusive ways of transacting,” Ms. Castro-Selda said.
She said the corporate was drawn to BIYAYA’s mission of promoting local industries, particularly coffee farmers and weavers who’ve earned international recognition.
“We’ve been really very interested from the time that we met them because these are small coffee farmers who’re winning internationally,” she said. “We’re here to assist support our small industries.”
Ms. Castro-Selda said Palawan Group supports MSMEs through Palawan Credit’s lending products, pawnshop financing, and the corporate’s nationwide branch network, which provides access to services reminiscent of money deposits and withdrawals, remittances, payroll, collections, and other banking transactions.
She said the corporate’s physical presence complements its digital platform, allowing customers to make a choice from money and electronic transactions.
“For them, it is going to be easier because Palawan Pawnshop is already of their communities. In the event that they need digital, it’s there. In the event that they need money, they will go to the closest Palawan branch,” she said.
The corporate also said PalawanPay offers merchants a lower cost of accepting digital payments by charging a merchant discount rate of lower than 1%, which it said is below typical industry rates.
In response to Ms. Castro-Selda, one challenge faced by MSMEs is the fees charged for digital payment acceptance, adding that PalawanPay seeks to make digital transactions cheaper while providing support through its greater than 3,800 branches nationwide.
“If merchants encounter problems with their terminals or QR Ph stands, they know there’s a close-by Palawan branch they will approach,” she said.
The corporate also highlighted its free cash-in service at branches no matter transaction amount, alongside a P5 InstaPay transfer fee, which Ms. Castro-Selda said helps keep transaction costs low for purchasers.
Ms. Castro-Selda said that the group’s greater than 4 many years of operations construct trust and encourages digital adoption amongst Filipinos who remain hesitant to make use of e-wallets.
“Palawan Pawnshop as a bunch is essentially the most trusted pawnshop within the Philippines,” she said.
“During the last 41 years, we’ve established trust in our brand, and we’re physically present. From there, we’re educating customers that digital is less complicated and more convenient, while assuring them that in the event that they need money, we’re still there,” she added.
Ms. Castro-Selda said Palawan Group’s strategy is to supply a seamless experience across its digital wallet and physical branches.
“The goal is that each one the services within the branch must be in PalawanPay, and all of the services in PalawanPay must also be available on the branch, That’s our differentiation. We’re not purely digital—we have now each brick-and-mortar and digital,” she said.
PalawanPay currently has 23 million users, in keeping with the corporate. Through its participation in BIYAYA, the Palawan Group said it goals to reveal how digital financial services can strengthen local enterprises while promoting broader financial inclusion. — Kaizzer Angela Marie V. Manuba