TAGUIG CITY, Philippines — In support of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ (BSP) initiative to harness satellite internet connectivity to improve financial inclusion in underserved and geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDAs), Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation has been scaling up its RCBC ATM Go network powered by Starlink.
RCBC ATM Go, the bank’s community-centric, “kapitbahay ATM” solution, brings essential banking services closer to Filipinos who lack convenient access to traditional banking infrastructure. Now available in thousands of partner merchant locations nationwide, ATM Go terminals enable cash withdrawals, deposits, fund transfers, bill payments, mobile load purchases, and remittance collection at trusted local hubs such as sari-sari stores, cooperatives, and rural shops.
“Sustainable financial inclusion demands more than products; it requires connectivity,” said Lito Villanueva, RCBC executive vice president and chief innovation and inclusion officer. “By adopting satellite internet as a backbone for service delivery in remote and GIDA communities, RCBC is delivering on the promise of inclusive digital banking for all Filipinos.”
According to RCBC, approximately a quarter of the bank’s nationwide network of ATM Go merchant partners rely on Starlink satellite connectivity to operate in areas where traditional telecommunications infrastructure is absent or unreliable. This strategic adoption supports the BSP’s broader objective of closing the digital divide and catalyzing digital payment adoption outside major urban centers.
With Starlink’s low-latency, high-availability coverage, RCBC’s ATM Go terminals extend financial services to communities across all 82 Philippine provinces, including southern Mindanao regions historically challenged by network connectivity gaps. RCBC’s ecosystem approach empowers trusted community merchants to become local financial touchpoints, fostering convenience and economic activity at the grassroots.
This satellite-enabled deployment aligns with the BSP’s recent move to coordinate with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) on leveraging satellite infrastructure to boost digital banking and payment adoption where traditional infrastructure is lacking.
RCBC ATM Go has earned multiple industry recognitions for its impact and innovation, including ‘Outstanding Digital Innovation in SME Banking – Highly Acclaimed’ at the Global SME Banking Innovation Awards, ‘Agent Banking Initiative of the Year’ at the Asian Banking & Finance Retail Banking Awards, and ‘Best Customer-Centric Product’ at the Bank Marketing Association of the Philippines Awards. The Philippines’ first “kapitbahay ATM” also recently bagged two Anvil Awards for excellence in Sustainability and Financial Communications.
