The Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) is optimistic for a sustained rise in its mobile payment application users to about 5 million by 2026. To date, the number of users of BPI’s digital wallet, VYBE, has reached about 2.3 million. Eric Faustino, head of Digital Partnerships and Ecosystems of BPI, said they target to end 2025 with 2.5 million users and to double this by next year. “We also have a good number of new banks that we have gained through the years. So, there's a good number (of account holders), and we hope we continue to grow that one because it's also aligned with our vision for financial inclusion,” he said in a briefing Thursday. BPI has teamed up with self-service kiosk operator, Pay&Go, to allow VYBE app users to cash in for free at more than 3,400 kiosks nationwide. “Digital banking must serve not only the tech-savvy but also the overlooked. As we expand VYBE’s access through Pay&Go, we are building a more inclusive financial landscape where every Filipino has the tools to move forward,” Faustino added. Dan Ibarra, chief executive officer of BTI Payments Philippines, the provider of Pay&Go machines, said most of their machines are in the National Capital Region and Luzon, while about 12 percent are in Mindanao and 8 percent in the Visayas. He said they aim to have about 4,500 units nationwide by next year, with a focus on the Visayas and Mindanao, partly through their partnership with BPI. “It's really our intention to reach out to the broader market, especially in the segment that is hardly provided with financial access,” he added. PNA PHOTO