Manila, July 11 -- As part of the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to advance inclusive and sustainable development at the grassroots, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said on Friday that 180 local government units (LGUs) have officially adopted the Paleng-QR PH Program, a joint initiative of the agency and Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to push for cashless, safer, and more inclusive local transactions.

Based on DILG-BSP Joint Memorandum Circular 01, series of 2022, the program is part of the government's National Strategy for Financial Inclusion 2022 to 2028.

Of the 180 participating LGUs, five are in the National Capital Region, 127 in Luzon, 33 in Visayas, and 15 in Mindanao. These LGUs ha...