City officials enjoined all business establishments and local public transportation in the city to adopt QR PH digital payments in line with the Paleng-QR PH program for them to avail of a one-time incentive granted by the city government.
Under Ordinance No. 071, series of 2022, all business owners who shall provide QR PH as an alternative mode of payment shall be granted a one-time 2.5 percent discount which will be applied to their business tax on the first year of adoption.
Further, the covered merchants shall open and maintain a QR PH-ready transaction account. In the event the covered entity does not have an account, the entity commits to have an account 6 months after the effectivity of the ordinance.
The ordinance mandated the covered merchants to explicitly display their QR Ph code in their store or vehicle where it is visible to customers and passengers to make QR Ph payments available as a method of payment.
Covered merchants shall also actively participate in the information campaign, financial literacy program and other relevant activities to be facilitated by the city government and financial service providers.
On the other hand, financial service providers shall provide personnel, customer assistance booths, and other appropriate resources, including QR code printouts, deemed reasonable to ensure successful conduct of the local government’s of the QR Ph program account opening days; provide target users with appropriate materials on opening a transaction account, using QR code payments and other digital financial services; provide target users with appropriate materials on opening a transaction account using QR code payments and other digital financial services; provide resource speakers and contents, as requested, for the local government’s financial literacy program; assign competent contact persons to the local government for the efficient and timely coordination on the program implementation; provide special offers for accounts opened under the Paleng-QR Ph program such as free micro-insurance coverage for a certain period; and the participation of the financial service providers to the said program is non-exclusive.
Within 30 days upon approval of the ordinance, the City Mayor, in coordination with the concerned executive departments, shall promulgate rules and regulations to properly implement the said endeavor.
The ordinance shall be imposed unto all concerned parties who will hold any confidential information in strict compliance to the pertinent provisions of Republic Act (RA) 10173, otherwise known as the Data Privacy Act, under the terms of confidentiality, the local government and other partner parties shall be bound to agree that any such information will be treated with utmost confidentiality, and that the partner parties and their employees or representatives will use reasonable efforts to protect such information in their possession against any accidental or unlawful destruction, alteration and disclosure, as well as against any other unlawful processing.
The ordinance Tasked the City Permits and Licensing Division of the City Mayor’s Office with the assistance of the Market Administration Office of the City Treasury Office to monitor compliance of those covered under the measure and to provide reports to the City Mayor and the City Council.