GCash First PH Fintech to Achieve ISO for Information Security, Privacy Information Management

GCash, the country’s leading finance app and largest cashless ecosystem, becomes the first Philippine fintech to achieve ISO certifications for two globally recognized standards for information security management and privacy information management systems— the ISO/IEC 27001 and the ISO/IEC 2770.

GCash is the first fintech company in the Philippines to receive both certifications simultaneously, following a comprehensive and independent audit by the British Standards Institution (BSI), a business improvement and standards organization that partners with more than 84,000 clients globally across multiple industry sectors.

The certifications affirm that the information security and privacy management systems of GCash met international standards and best practices, which have been vetted by a third-party auditor, establishing transparency and building trust in the country’s largest cashless ecosystem.

“These ISO certifications are external validations of our internal belief that we must always operate with the highest integrity and discipline by integrating security and privacy into every aspect of our operations and innovations,” said Pebbles Sy, GCash chief technology and operations officer.

BSI country managing director Ava Taniajura added, “These certifications have equipped GCash with a significant advantage in safeguarding against potential threats. GCash has implemented comprehensive systems and controls to ensure the utmost security and confidentiality of its users' personal information.”

Meanwhile, GCash chief information security officer Miguel Geronilla emphasized that staying ahead of threats and strengthening defenses is essential to protecting customers and enabling innovation with confidence.

“We have invested heavily in building a digital environment that prioritizes safety. These certifications are not just milestones but also a reflection of our commitment to protecting the trust that our millions of users have placed in us,” Geronilla said.

The ISO/IEC 27001 certification validates the systematic approach of GCash in managing sensitive information. The complementary ISO/IEC 27701 standard focuses on how personal data is collected, stored, and processed following global and local privacy laws, including the Philippine Data Privacy Act and the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

“The reality is that financial services are now frontlines in the battle for data protection,” said GCash VP and group data protection officer Atty. Rob Real. “Our approach combines legal compliance with technology-enabled governance to stay ahead of increasingly complex threats.”

GCash is the first Philippine-based fintech company to receive dual certifications in ISO/IEC 27001 and ISO/IEC 27701 as of certification dates. To attain dual ISO certifications for information security and data privacy is a significant achievement, as financial platforms face heightened scrutiny in protecting users from fraud, scams, and other forms of cybercrime.

The certification process required GCash to align its policies, internal audits, employee training, and data processing protocols with globally accepted standards in information security and data privacy.

The milestones come as Southeast Asia experiences a surge in cyberattacks, driven by the expansion of e-commerce, digital banking, and AI-powered fraud. In the Philippines, regulators have repeatedly warned of phishing schemes, social engineering, and synthetic identity fraud targeting mobile wallet users.

The multi-layered security strategy of GCash includes AI-driven fraud detection, biometric authentication, device binding, and 24/7 monitoring through its internal Security Operations Center. The company also works closely with regulators, law enforcement, and the banking sector to share threat intelligence and enhance consumer protection.

As cyberthreats continue to evolve, the long-term security strategy of GCash remains focused on strengthening both its technological defenses and user education, ensuring resilience and reliability as digital adoption accelerates across the country.

For more information, visit www.gcash.com.

Political Pump Makes Waves at Philippine Blockchain Week 2025

In a space often dominated by overhyped token launches and fleeting pump-and-dump schemes, Political Pump is carving a unique path—transforming meme coin culture into a movement rooted in satire, scarcity, and decentralization. Showcased at Philippine Blockchain Week 2025, Political Pump offered attendees a fresh take on what meme coins could represent: community, transparency, and cultural commentary.

Far from being just another digital asset, Political Pump is a decentralized collectible platform where political figures meet blockchain. Each micro memecoin is based on a known political persona and is launched with no presales, no private allocations, and no centralized wallets. All liquidity is burned at launch, ensuring transparent, tamper-proof tokenomics. It's not just about trading—it's about owning a piece of digital satire and participating in a new kind of political dialogue.

At their interactive booth, attendees were treated to expertly brewed coffee, creating a laid-back space for bold conversations around governance, decentralization, and the power of community-led finance. The setup reflected the project’s tone—serious about transparency, but never without a sense of humor and culture.

“This isn’t just another meme coin—it’s a statement,” shared Jose Manuel Torres, Co-Founder of Political Pump. “Everything is market-driven. There are no insider deals, no hidden hands. We’ve stripped away the typical manipulation that plagues the crypto industry. What you see is what you get.”

The Political Pump experience stood out during the two-day blockchain summit, bringing energy, curiosity, and community into one clear vision—crypto doesn’t have to be chaotic to be revolutionary.

You can learn more about the project at www.politicalpump.com and explore how it continues to spark conversations where satire meets blockchain utility.

Acknowledgments

Political Pump was showcased alongside some of the most innovative projects at Philippine Blockchain Week 2025, with the support of co-hosts Blockchain Council of the Philippines and 9CAT Group of Thailand. Proudly listed as a Gold Sponsor, the project joined notable names like OKX Wallet and ONCHAIN® in pushing the boundaries of Web3.

Thanks to an extensive network of global and local media partners, Political Pump’s message reached audiences far beyond the event floor, cementing its role not just as a meme coin but as a cultural marker in the evolution of crypto.

TeamViewer Optimises Simulator Operations Efficiency for the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula 1 Team

Göppingen – TeamViewer, a global leader in digital workplace solutions, is driving improvements for The Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula 1 Team with the performance-enhancing advantages of TeamViewer Tensor in managing the driver-in-loop simulator.

In the highly competitive world of Formula 1, every millisecond counts. The Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team seeks to ensure a competitive advantage at every stage of a race weekend to get the car across the finish line first, including the technology it deploys throughout its operations.

Part of this process is the driver-in-loop simulator, which replicates the behaviour of a real car, but in a controlled digital environment where every circuit can be driven on and every possible car configuration can be explored. Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team drivers, George Russell and Kimi Antonelli, use this simulator to test drive different car setups and discover the best possible options to configure it for the race weekend. This year, the simulator work is especially important for rookie driver Antonelli as he familiarises himself with new tracks.

The team’s reserve and simulator drivers are also often busy in the simulator, especially during race weekends. Simulator drivers and the simulator team work closely with the engineers to test solutions for real-time issues, which, if effective, can be applied to the race cars on the next session. As the race team is frequently overseas and in different time zones, TeamViewer Tensor ensures that key personnel have the flexibility to log in, monitor, and make changes to the simulator devices remotely, even when they're not on site in Brackley, England.

This maximises the use of these simulators with unmatched security, scalability, and manageability.

Christian Damm, Simulator Development Engineer for the Team, notes that, “Not only are the simulators a sensitive area, they're also very secretive. We need to be able to trust that the data security is in place. With TeamViewer, we can have that peace of mind. The work in the simulator has an impact on the track, so being able to push boundaries and enhance performance is a win for my team."

Damm also highlights that one of the benefits of using TeamViewer Tensor is dynamic remoting that allows multiple users to connect to one machine to troubleshoot a problem together. He has a specific setup at his desk, with multiple screens, and is able to replicate this remotely on his laptop.

In addition, TeamViewer Tensor’s scalability and centralised management allows the simulator team to effortlessly add or remove users and machines, reducing the time it takes to manage new resources and secure them within groups. Tensor also displays significantly better resolution than the previous software used by the team, which would stutter and freeze. Tensor’s ability to utilise a higher bit rate and tune colours as needed has allowed it to avoid these disruptive issues, providing a high-quality experience at all times. And whether it’s a trackside engineer or IT staff at the factory, ensuring that team members can access the data in real time can be the difference between winning and losing on the track.

“On the track, every second counts - so we need to ensure our technology implementations can keep up to ensure drivers and team members can access all the data they need in real time to make those split-second decisions to get us over the finish line. We use TeamViewer across our digital workplaces, whether the office, the factory, or at the track, so when Christian approached us about new technology for the simulation, Tensor was the obvious choice. Due to the cost cap all our technology deployments have to deliver value. It is always a balancing balance where technology spend will make more of an impact than putting the money elsewhere in the team,” said Steven Riley, Head of IT Operation and Service Management, Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team.

Watch here for more detail on how The Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 team is using TeamViewer.

Globe Partners With Bridge Alliance and Thales for New Enterprise IoT Solution in PH

Globe is taking the lead in Internet of Things (IoT) adoption in the Philippines through a Proof of Concept (PoC) for the GSMA SGP.32 standard, in partnership with global eSIM solutions leader Thales and Bridge Alliance, the global alliance of premier mobile operators

The collaboration positions Globe as the first Philippine telco to test the new specifications developed by the Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA), which is designed to enable IoT solutions that require flexible, scalable, and secure connectivity across a wide range of business applications.

Globe has partnered with Thales, an IoT technology expert, to onboard its Adaptive Connect Services that cover SGP.32 eSIM IoT Remote Manager (EIM) and Fleet Manager to support multiple use cases of local and regional IoT connectivity.

Bridge Alliance also plays an instrumental role in this PoC. Not only does Bridge Alliance connect Bridge member operators (BMOs) like Globe with other BMOs like Singtel (Singapore), Optus (Australia), and AIS (Thailand), it also serves as the project manager of the PoC to support regional readiness of the technology and simulate cross-border enterprise use cases across the BMOs.

The consortium, likewise, allows Thales to demonstrate its platform’s capability and interoperability in conformance with the new SGP.32 specifications in the IoT space.

The PoC intends to showcase how enterprise-grade IoT devices can be provisioned and managed through eSIM technology using remote bulk SIM provisioning, SIM profile switching, seamless interconnectivity, and rapid SIM activation.

“With the PoC, we are laying the groundwork for IoT deployments that meet the evolving needs of Philippine enterprises. Our goal is to simplify how businesses connect their devices and help them unlock greater efficiency, flexibility, and reach,” said Carl Cruz, President and CEO of Globe.

While eSIMs and IoT technologies have gained traction in the consumer space, enterprise adoption remains in its early stages. The PoC presents an opportunity to demonstrate the full potential of eSIM technology in massive enterprise IoT applications.

“Integrating Thales IoT connectivity solutions within Globe and Bridge Alliance services would provide their enterprise customers with an advanced platform for seamless and secure management of IoT device connectivity. This also provides an opportunity for all IoT companies to introduce their SGP.32 devices in a very broad market when they participate in this collaborative project”, said Jon Cahilig, Asia Head of Sales for Mobile Connectivity Solutions of Thales.

“Bridge Alliance is pleased to join our member operator Globe and our technology partner Thales to trial the SGP.32 standard, which represents a major step forward in enabling seamless, interoperable, and scalable enterprise IoT connectivity across borders. This collaboration brings us closer to realizing a truly unified approach to enterprise IoT that has the potential to deliver regional value to even more of our member operators across multiple markets,” said Dr Ong Geok Chwee, CEO of Bridge Alliance.

Scheduled to begin in the third quarter of 2025 following final development work, the PoC will run until SGP.32-compatible devices become commercially available, giving Globe and the other Bridge Mobile operators a competitive edge as the standard enters the market.

Once the service is ready, Globe will open the platform to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and Globe Business clients interested in exploring with their own IoT devices.

The global IoT market is experiencing rapid growth and is projected to reach 4.9 billion devices by the end of 2025. In the Philippines, it is expected to grow to Php410 billion by 2029, driven by an annual growth rate of 20 percent. This surge is fueled by the widespread adoption of IoT across smart cities, advanced manufacturing, and the growing shift to electric and hybrid vehicles—aligning with the country’s push toward digital urban development and sustainable mobility.

Learn more by visiting https://www.globe.com.ph/business.

Smart Starts SIM Distribution for Government’s Bayanihan SIM Initiative

PLDT's wireless arm Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) is backing the government's Bayanihan SIM initiative, which aims to bring mobile data connectivity to geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDAs) across the country.

Under this program, which is led by the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), Smart is providing free TNT SIM cards with pre-loaded mobile data to recipients identified by the Department of Education (DepEd), which includes students and teachers in elementary and high schools under the department. Under the partnership, beneficiaries will receive 25GB of data per month for 12 months, fully subsidized by the government.

The first wave of distribution was successfully held in Masinloc, Zambales province at Bani National High School – Coto Annex, Coto Elementary School, and Mandaloy Elementary School. Smart personnel were deployed on-site to assist with SIM registration, facilitate the downloading of the Smart App, and provide guidance on account reloading and data usage monitoring.

“We are proud to support the Bayanihan SIM initiative, which reinforces our commitment to leave no Filipino offline. By expanding access to mobile connectivity and data, especially in underserved communities, we help students continue their education, families stay in touch, and citizens access critical digital services. This program is a step towards a more inclusive digital future where every Filipino, regardless of location, can participate in learning, livelihood, and nation-building,” said Anastacio Boy R. Martirez, Smart's Chief Operating Officer.

The Bayanihan SIM program is a key initiative supporting the government’s push for nationwide digital connectivity. It is enabled by Smart's mobile network and is supported by PLDT's fiber infrastructure, the country's most extensive.

“For PLDT, nation-building is a shared responsibility. Through programs like Bayanihan SIM, we are strengthening our long-standing partnership with the government to empower more communities and help bridge the digital divide,” said Butch Jimenez, PLDT's Chief Operating Officer. “As a member of the Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC), PLDT continues to support the national agenda by delivering inclusive connectivity and digital access where it matters most—whether in classrooms, homes, or hard-to-reach barangays.”

The PLDT Group's continued investment in enhancing its integrated fixed and wireless network, including its robust 5G infrastructure, is aligned with the Group’s commitment to delivering a leveled-up customer experience across the country.

Smart's innovative mobile products and services also contribute to the PLDT Group’s endeavors to narrow the digital divide, provide connectivity to all, and achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) particularly SDG 9 – Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure. These also reinforce the Group’s support for the Government's overall digitalization thrust.