Launched at a ceremony held on June 16, 2025, at RCBC’s Yuchengco Centre in Makati City, the Digital Marketplace 2.0 marks RCBC as the first bank in Southeast Asia to adopt an unbundled, composable API distribution model. Major highlights:

• 30 priority APIs to be released within 90 days, covering essentials like digital remittances, embedded financing, savings, and insurance.
• Event attended by RCBC executives, APIwiz representatives, and Hungry Workhorse leadership.

By going “API-first,” RCBC hopes to accelerate real-time integration, while giving fintechs the flexibility to plug into banking services without the burden of backend infrastructure.

📡 Powered by APIwiz & Hungry Workhorse

The marketplace’s core tech stack is supplied by APIwiz, a California-based platform that supports the full API lifecycle—from design and governance to deployment and analytics—with built-in APIOps automatio. RCBC CTO Angelito “Lito” Villanueva described APIs as the “digital glue of modern banking,” noting:

“APIs are the essential connectors in modern banking while platform banking continues to evolve…”

Hungry Workhorse, as APIwiz’s official Philippine partner, spearheads the local operational rollout—covering design thinking, implementation, and training initiatives . Their CEO, Rey Lugtu, cited “transformative digital solutions” and enhanced tech‑talent development as key objectives.

🔗 Responding to Regulatory & Market Trends

RCBC’s move aligns closely with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ (BSP) vision to establish open, secure digital financial marketplaces. The BSP has been advancing regulations to permit banks, e-money issuers, and third parties to distribute financial products through unified platforms.

The initiative also addresses a growing demand among local fintechs—including those pursuing digital banking licenses—to enter into plug-and-play partnerships. Villanueva emphasized that the API marketplace aims to bring “accessible, tailored, and affordable financial solutions to millions of Filipinos, whether they are in the country or overseas”.

💡 Business Impact & Future Outlook

Financially, RCBC is already performing well: Q1 2025 net income has grown over 10% year-over-year, with shares currently hovering around ₱25.00 apiece . While the API marketplace is still young, RCBC is banking on new revenue streams, cost efficiencies, and strategic advantages in platform banking.

This contrasts sharply with traditional banking models, where each feature must be built from scratch. Instead, RCBC envisions a modular, composable ecosystem—enabling fintechs to select only what they need via secure API calls, while legacy systems evolve toward microservices.

🔭 Why It Matters

• Ecosystem acceleration: The platform enables rapid fintech innovation by reducing time-to-market and technical friction.
• Financial inclusion expansion: Lowered barriers can help underserved and overseas Filipino communities access modern financial services.
• Regional leadership: As one of Southeast Asia’s first API platforms, RCBC sets a benchmark for open banking in the region.