As the rhythmic beat of the drums and the cries of “Hala Bira!” echoed through the streets for Dinagyang 2026, Iloilo City transformed into a powerful showcase of a city in motion. This year, the festival served as a landmark moment for digital transformation, driven by a shared vision of progress between the local community and the country’s leading finance app, GCash.
By bridging heritage with technology, GCash took an active role in empowering Iloilo’s nano, micro, small, and medium enterprises (NMSMEs) during the festivities while simultaneously digitizing the city’s educational pillars through a strategic partnership with Ateneo de Iloilo.
Empowering NMSMEs as the Heart of the Celebration
GCash integrated digital payment solutions into the city’s busiest touchpoints. For local merchants, “going cashless” became the primary tool for managing high customer volumes and reducing friction during the festivities.
- Legacy Institutions Go Digital: Even Iloilo’s most iconic brands are embracing the future. Allen Mae Borro Pido, representing the third generation of the 80-year-old Ted’s Oldtimer La Paz Batchoy, shared how adopting GCash for Business has boosted sales. “We need to embrace cashless methods because that’s the way the world is moving now,” Pido noted.
- Neighborhood Growth: For Jeni Ann T. Baran, owner of Mini Convinie and a GCash Pera Outlet Plus (GPO+) partner, digital services have turned her store into a community hub where residents can shop, pay bills, and manage financial needs conveniently.
- Interactive Experiences: Through a stamp-card Food Crawl and “Piso Biscocho” treats, GCash allowed festival-goers to experience how QR payments streamline transactions during large-scale events.
“GCash has been a huge help to our business, providing us with extra income. It’s also been beneficial for our customers, not just students, but everyone who needs a quick and easy way to handle their daily transactions, like paying bills, credit cards, water bills, and even buying load.” Baran shared.
“I’m a GCash user myself, so I was the one who convinced my parents to adopt it,” said Pido. “They are very traditional, but I explained that we need to embrace cashless methods because that’s the way the world is moving now. It has been a great help to the company and has even boosted our sales. Many GCash users prefer not to carry cash, so providing this option is very beneficial.”
Strengthening Educational Foundations
As the festival energized the streets, GCash cemented its commitment to Ilonggo families by partnering with Ateneo de Iloilo – Santa Maria Catholic School. Through this collaboration, the prestigious Jesuit institution is now an accredited Bills Pay biller on the GCash app, allowing parents to settle tuition and school fees securely and remotely.
“In the spirit of magis—of striving for excellence and doing more—we believe there is much more that GCash and Ateneo de Iloilo can do together in enabling a truly cashless ecosystem on campus,” said Paul Vincent Albano, Vice President and General Manager for B2B of GXI.
“With GCash now available as a payment option for tuition and other school fees, our parents, guardians, and students will benefit from a more efficient, secure, and user-friendly payment system,” said Fr. Arnel Ong, SJ. “This enhancement will undoubtedly be of great help to all of our stakeholders, and I am very pleased to witness this important development for Ateneo de Iloilo Santa Maria Catholic School.”
Driving Regional Impact
GCash underscores a deep commitment to Western Visayas. Key highlights include:
- Boosted Merchant Revenue: The campaign aimed to help participating NMSMEs increase service-related earnings during the festival period.
- Enhanced Visibility: High-traffic convergence zones like Festive Walk and Atria featured interactive booths, complemented by 360-degree LED wall placements at major overpasses.
- Civic Collaboration: A courtesy visit with Iloilo City Mayor Raisa Treñas-Chu reinforced the importance of public-private partnerships in expanding digital access across the city.
- Family-Centric Solutions: The Ateneo integration provides a real-time, secure way to manage education expenses, giving families more time to focus on what matters most.
Reinforcing this shared commitment to NMSME growth and digital inclusion, GCash also paid a courtesy visit to the Iloilo City local government during the festival period. The visit highlighted the importance of public-private collaboration in enabling small businesses to thrive and in expanding access to cashless solutions across the city.
“GCash will soon be available as payment method in Ililo City Government and public markets,” shared Mayor Raisa Treñas-Chu, “GCash ang pinaka mahapos gamiton nga online payment channel and gina tinguhaan gid naton nga ma implement ini agud mangin convenient ang payment schemes for Ilonggo consumers,” (GCash is the easiest online payment channel to use and we are trying to implement it to make payment schemes convenient for Ilonggo consumers),” she added.
By embedding financial technology into Iloilo’s food, education, and cultural moments, GCash is ensuring that the spirit of “Hala Bira” carries the city digitally forward into a more efficient, inclusive, and prosperous future.
For more information, please visit www.gcash.com.
