Bridging the gap: inside BDO Unibank’s “phygital” transformation with RJ de la Cruz & Levy Mariñas

Episode 86 of Banking Reinvented explores how the Philippines’ largest bank is bridging physical and digital channels to deliver seamless, customer-first experiences at scale.Host Tim Rutten is joined by BDO Unibank’s Romeo Josef “RJ” de la Cruz, Head of Digital Applications & Delivery, and Levy Mariñas, Head of Digital Apps Delivery, who lead the teams powering BDO’s mobile and web platforms. Together, they discuss how BDO is unifying its digital architecture, accelerating time-to-market, and expanding access through its “phygital” strategy, where in-branch, online, and mobile banking work as one.Tune in to hear how BDO tripled digital wallet adoption, plus how they’re driving financial inclusion and preparing for the next wave of AI-powered personalization, efficiency, and fraud prevention.–Curious to find out more about customer-centric banking? Follow us on LinkedIn:-> Backbase-> Jouk Pleiter-> Tim Rutten-> Romeo Josef “RJ” de la Cruz -> Levy MariñasStep into the future of finance -> Check out our content hubTimestamps(00:00) – Welcome to the “Banking Reinvented” podcast(00:31) – Introduction to RJ, Levy, and BDO Unibank(05:14) – The value of a “phygital” transformation(09:02) – The 2-3 year ambition roadmap(10:25) – Balancing innovation with security and trust(13:38) – Collaboration with a fintech partner(15:51) – Key use cases(18:03) – Navigating a competitive market(20:52) – Harnessing the power of AI(25:45) – Key learnings and takeaways(31:12) – Episode wrap-up