Mindanaotoday.com | Group argues ‘digital payment’ option not applicable for Cagayan de Oro tricycles
By: Franck Dick Rosete
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — The top official of a group of tricycle drivers and operators in this city has argued that implementing an option for digital payment is not applicable to their public utility vehicles.
Paul Cempron, chairman of the Federation of Motorela Drivers and Operators in Cagayan de Oro, said if the proposed Ordinance No. 2023-283, or the Paleng-QR Plus PH Program of Cagayan de Oro City, is passed, it will give hardships to them, saying that many tricycle drivers don’t have smart phones and don’t know how to operate mobile wallet apps.
“It would be a hassle to operate that, and it enables us to exert additional time just to cash in [the money],” Cempron said in vernacular on Wednesday, September 13.
The Paleng-QR PH Plus Program, which was developed by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), promotes financial inclusion and cashless transactions at public markets, community stores, and local public transportation in the country.
In this city, the council’s committee on trade and commerce proposed the above-mentioned ordinance to hereby enjoin public markets, community stores, and local public transportation to make QR Ph payment available for their customers and passengers.
The federation chairman appreciated the plan and the purpose of the national government and the local government unit, but he said the government can implement it in sectors where digital payment is applicable.
“The others can ask help from their children. But for the drivers, especially on the ground, it would be a hassle because they need to check their phones and check if the payment was received,” Cempron said in vernacular.
During the city council session on September 4, Councilor Malvern Esparcia, member of the committee on trade and commerce, explained that paying cash will remain, but covered merchants and public transportation “can no longer say that they can’t accept online payment transactions.”
“They should have options,” Esparcia said in vernacular as he gave a manifestation to the said proposed ordinance.
This was also stated under subsection (c) of Section 5 of the proposed ordinance, where the responsibility of the covered merchants and public transportation is to make QR PH payments available. In addition, if the covered entity doesn’t have a QR-Ph-ready transaction account, “the entity commits to having an account six months after the effective date of the ordinance.”
Councilor George Goking, chairman of the trade and commerce committee, was sought for comment about Esparcia’s statement, and he explained that the proposed ordinance is “not obligatory,” acknowledging the capacity of the covered traders.
As to the requirement to have an account, Goking said that it is also an option, as they didn’t provide a penalty clause in the ordinance, but the city government is planning to provide incentives for those stores and public transportation that would follow the Paleng-QR PH Plus Program.
However, Section 6 of the ordinance, which provides incentives, is still incomplete based on the opinion of the City Legal Office, prompting it to ask the committee on trade and commerce to provide a comprehensive incentive clause.
“They (the BSP) will have an information drive before the actual implementation of Paleng-QR,” Goking said. This is to educate the covered merchants and public transportation about the importance of the program.
Due to so many questions raised by the lawmakers here on September 4, the proposed ordinance was deferred, and the city council is planning to invite the BSP in the next session to address various questions.
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