konek2CARD hits 2 million-user milestone in Q1

By CARD MRI
February 23, 2022

SAN PABLO CITY – With its continuous campaign to financially include more communities in the Philippines, konek2CARD has finally reached two million registered users on February 12, 2022 with 2,002,482 registrations and counting.

konek2CARD is a mobile banking application used by clients of CARD Bank, CARD SME Bank, CARD MRI RIZAL BANK, and now, CARD, Inc. (A Microfinance NGO) to make their financial transactions accessible in the comforts of their home. Through konek2CARD, clients can now easily check their balance, pay their bills and loan dues, purchase e-load, and transfer funds with just a few taps on their phones. Agent-assisted cash-in and cash-out services are also made possible through konek2CARD agents strategically placed in barangays.

Looking back, the mobile banking application has first seen an increase in user registration after its “Saya ng Buhay, Level App” campaign in April 2021, which ramped up the registrations to 808,378 in May 2021. Two months after the campaign, konek2CARD finally reached its one million milestone on June 28, 2021 with 1,000,828 registrations, which was recognized by Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin E. Diokno in a recorded statement.

Ms. Cynthia B. Baldeo, President/CEO of CARD SME Bank who spearheaded the konek2CARD expansion together with CARD microfinance institutions' (MFIs) champions, accomplished the milestone of reaching two million registered clients.

“Once again, we are reaping the fruits of our digital initiatives, and this cannot be possible without the help of our institutional partners, konek2CARD champions, Account Officers (AO), and even our konek2CARD agents on the ground,” Baldeo said.

Further, Baldeo, emphasized the role of Account Officers and konek2CARD agents, who continuously promote the benefits of konek2CARD to clients. “The success of konek2CARD can be attributed to the hard work and perseverance of our economic frontliners. With the new normal, they have served as vanguards to our konek2CARD initiatives. As our Account Officers visit their centers day by day and as our konek2CARD agents collect their fellow center members’ weekly dues, our Account Officers and agents include the importance of the mobile banking application in their agenda, now that our operations are a mix of high tech and high touch,” Baldeo added.

A Sign of Success

Consequently, CARD MRI Managing Director Aristeo A. Dequito also recognized the efforts of over 17,000 on-boarded konek2CARD agents as of February 2022. “With the help of our konek2CARD agents, who work closely with our MFIs and who have taken on a huge and important role in their community, we are even more hopeful that our goal of bringing our financial services closer to our clients in all corners of the Philippines is within reach,” Dequito expressed.

Further, Dequito added, “There is no question that our clients are composed mostly of nanays or mothers who desire better lives for their families. Some of them are not digital savvy or inclined to modern technology, but again, our hearts are warmed to see our elders try and our younger generation try with them. It is this family spirit that we see that makes our konek2CARD experience more purposeful and our journey to overcoming the pandemic more possible.”

“Growth can be a sign of success, yes, but it is always the collaborative effort between CARD MRI and our clients that sustains us to make our mission of poverty eradication possible,” CARD MRI Founder and Chairman Emeritus Dr. Jaime Aristotle B. Alip said. “As we pull the ropes together to surpass the poverty line, we are positive that we will reach even more milestones together,” Dr. Alip concluded.

The two million milestone has motivated CARD MRI to continue its mission of serving communities with its digital financial services. It hopes to achieve the 3.5 million-user mark by June 2022.