[As Prepared]

Acknowledgments:
Hon. Rex Gatchalian, Mayor of Valenzuela City;
Hon. Eric Martinez, Vice Mayor of Valenzuela City;
Mr. Paolo Baltao, President of G-Xchange Inc.;
Department heads of the Valenzuela City Government, members of the business community;
Ladies and gentlemen;

A pleasant afternoon to everyone!

It is my distinct honor to join you this evening to witness the City Government of Valenzuela pave the way in bringing about good governance and improved public service with the digitization of the city government’s financial transactions.

This important initiative will not only make transacting with government easier but it will also significantly contribute to the Philippine Government’s campaign to fight corruption, foster transparency and increase financial inclusion.

The U.S. Government through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is pleased to be part of this trailblazing effort of the City Government. This effort is consistent with the United States Government’s (USG) Partnership for Growth (PFG) with the Government of the Philippines, which focuses on addressing the binding constraints to sustained, more inclusive economic growth in priority countries like the Philippines.

Furthermore, this supports the Philippines’ commitment to the Better Than Cash Alliance, an alliance of governments, international development organizations, and private sector groups committed to promoting “cash lite” societies across the globe. As a founding member of the Alliance, the Philippines is providing an excellent model for adopting the use of electronic payments as a tool to catalyze development.

We are fortunate to have the City Government of Valenzuela as one of our key partners in this pioneering effort. The City Government recognizes the value of electronic payments, particularly mobile money, as a game-changing tool for development—embracing technology-driven innovations to further enhance business processes of the government.

Mobile money is indeed a proven effective development tool around the world to make governments more efficient, transparent and accountable with the capacity to expand the reach of its services and provide better service to its constituents.

USAID’s Scaling Innovations in Mobile Money (SIMM) Project is helping the City Government achieve its development goals through it’s “3S Plus” Program, which stands for “Simple, Speed and Service” in its quest to providing convenience to taxpayers and pursuing good governance.

I congratulate the City Government of Valenzuela City, led by its dynamic Mayor, Hon. Rex Gatchalian, and our private sector partner, Globe Telecom and G-Xchange Inc. for this innovative system as we aspire to expand financial inclusion and improve the lives of Filipinos.

Thank you and mabuhay!