WFIS 2026 heads to Manila as Philippines digital finance accelerates

More than 600 banking and insurance leaders are set to gather in Manila on Aug. 25-26 for WFIS 2026, as the Philippines pushes deeper into digital finance, AI governance and core modernization. The event comes as digital bank deposits have climbed to P138.5 billion and Filipino banks gain global recognition.

Why it matters: - The Philippines is trying to turn fast-growing digital banking adoption into broader financial-sector modernization. - The Manila summit arrives as digital bank deposits reached P138.5 billion by the end of 2025, up nearly 44% from a year earlier. - Eight Filipino banks appeared in the World’s Best Banks 2026 rankings, with digital-native lenders ahead of several established incumbents. - WFIS 2026 is positioned as a venue for banks, regulators and technology providers to align on security, inclusion and infrastructure.

What happened: - World Financial Innovation Series, or WFIS, will hold its fifth Philippine edition at the Manila Marriott on Aug. 25-26. - Tradepass is organizing the two-day event. - The event has support from the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center, FinTech Alliance PH, Government Service Insurance System and the Rural Bankers Association of the Philippines. - More than 600 BFSI leaders are expected to attend. - More than 40 subject-matter experts are scheduled to speak.

The details: - The agenda includes AI governance, agentic banking, cloud-native core modernization, digital identity, deepfake defense and embedded finance. - Sessions will include keynote presentations, panel discussions, fireside chats and interactive Q&A. - The exhibition floor will feature companies including LUMIQ, Appian, Entrust, Island Credit Solutions, Personetics, SAS, EmbedIT, Fenergo, Mambu, Jumio, HyperVerge, Pega, Yubico, FinBox, Pine Labs, newgen, FEITIAN, ITNIO TECH, Wultra, Oz Forensics, JMR Infotech, ZIGRAM, i-Sprint, MariaDB, Sumsub, KiyaAI, H3C, Seagate Technology, Affinsys, Veefin, Skillmine and Decube. - Speakers include Atty. Arifa Ala of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, Lilian Cruz of Land Bank of the Philippines, Lito Villanueva of Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation and Jennifer Ng of Philippine National Bank. - Atty. Arifa Ala said collaboration among regulators, financial institutions, technology providers and other stakeholders is needed to expand financial inclusion while safeguarding consumer welfare and financial stability. - The event will close with the WFIS Awards & Gala Dinner on the second day. - The awards program will recognize leaders, innovators and visionaries across ten competitive categories. - The jury includes representatives from Deloitte Philippines, KPMG and the Credit Card Association of the Philippines. - The Manila Times, Philstar and Manila Bulletin are the official news partners. - ABS-CBN is the official broadcast partner. - More information is available at the event website.

Between the lines: - WFIS is leaning into a familiar pitch for the Philippines: rapid digital adoption now needs stronger governance, security and interoperability. - The heavy focus on AI, identity and deepfake defense suggests industry concern about fraud and trust as digital finance scales. - The speaker lineup mixes regulators, incumbents and innovation leaders, signaling an attempt to frame transformation as a sector-wide effort rather than a vendor showcase. - Tradepass CEO and co-founder Sudhir Jena said the goal is to build trust at scale while organizations expand digital economy infrastructure.

What's next: - WFIS 2026 will take place in Manila on Aug. 25-26. - The awards dinner will cap the second day of the summit. - Organizers are aiming to use the event to drive follow-on collaboration across the Philippine BFSI sector.

The bottom line: - WFIS 2026 is set to be a major industry checkpoint for the Philippines as digital finance growth, security concerns and modernization priorities converge in one room.