Some teams build products.
RCBC’s Digital Enterprise and Innovation Group (DEIG) builds bridges.
Bridges between Filipinos abroad and the families they support back home, between traditional banking and where the industry is headed next.
It’s this philosophy that recently earned RCBC two wins at The Digital Banker’s Digital CX Awards 2026: “Excellence in Next Gen Customer Satisfaction Philippines” and “Best Customer Experience via Mobile and Internet Banking Philippines.”
At the helm of DEIG is Lito Villanueva, Executive Vice President and Chief Innovation and Inclusion Officer of RCBC, who also chairs FinTech Alliance Philippines. His approach to leading the team is refreshingly simple: “Innovations with Empathy”, and an open-door policy that keeps collaboration flowing freely across teams.
That empathy shows up most clearly in RCBC Pulz, the platform built not just as an app, but as a lifeline. With only an international number and one valid ID, Pulz became the first digital banking solution by a privately-owned Philippine bank to let OFWs open accounts from anywhere on earth, turning what used to require costly remittance centers into a few taps on a phone.
The results speak for themselves: Pulz’s transaction volume climbed 59% year-on-year in 2025, gross transaction value rose 48%, and its five-year CAGR now stands at 51%.
“These awards affirm that Philippine banking innovation can compete globally,” Villanueva said. “It is a reminder that behind every award is a team quietly proving that world-class banking can also be deeply human.”
