BSP plans Cebu launch as coin machines target January 2027 return
The proposed rollout would double the original fleet to 50 machines, with half allocated to Metro Manila and half to other regions.
Cebu is set to lead the regional rollout of coin deposit machines as the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) seeks to restart the programme in January 2027. Deputy Governor Bernadette Romulo-Puyat told Rappler that SM Cebu was a potential launch venue.
The central bank intends to place 25 machines outside Metro Manila and restore 25 in the capital region. Romulo-Puyat said she hoped to hold a launch in Mindanao as well. Service in Metro Manila could restart at about the same time as in the provinces.
Romulo-Puyat largely blamed the delay on the service provider's slower-than-expected progress. SM is helping the BSP pay costs and choose locations with heavy foot traffic. She said the partnership would cut the programme's operating expenses, which she acknowledged were high.
Introduced in June 2023, the machines accepted coins in exchange for shopping vouchers or equivalent credits to GCash and Maya wallets or GoTyme bank accounts. By March 2025, coin collections were worth around ₱1.4 billion, according to the BSP.
