TAGUIG CITY, PHILIPPINES – Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC)’s Executive Vice President and Chief Innovations and Inclusion Officer, Lito Villanueva, was named as “Legend CIO” by The World CIO 200 Summit and “Icon of Change” by the Icons of Change Awards 2025. The titles were given to Villanueva for his tireless dedication in making digital financial solutions accessible to Filipinos living in rural and remote areas through RCBC Diskartech, RCBC Pulz, and RCBC ATM Go.
Villanueva was chosen as “Legend CIO” for a third time in a row after he demonstrated his prowess as a digital financial inclusion advocate through the scale and growth of RCBC ATM Go. ATM Go is the Philippines’ pioneering and largest network of grassroots-oriented and bank-agnostic ATM terminals. With the help of his team, Villanueva expanded the digital solution to cover all 82 provinces, hitting 100% presence in all cities and 93% reach in rural areas. The award-giving body is considered globally as the largest CIO leadership program, and has been recognizing key leaders in various industries in the past ten years.
“Truly honored to be part of the Philippines World CIO 200 Summit 2025 — the world’s largest gathering of technology leaders driving real impact and change… But beyond the accolades, what fuels me most is the mission we’ve committed to — harnessing innovation to drive meaningful, inclusive, and sustainable transformation for every Filipino,” Villanueva expressed his gratitude upon receiving the award.
On top of the recognition, Villanueva was awarded the “Excellence in Digital Innovation and Financial Inclusion Award” in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure. With the theme “Recognizing Leadership, Innovation, and Unsung Heroes”, the award-giving body this year chose Villanueva for his exceptional leadership in creating positive change in the banking sector aligned with Sustainable Development Goals. The awards ceremony also featured the “Metro Manila SDG Action Summit 2025: Celebrating the United Nations Year of Peace and Trust.
“Thank you to the Icons of Change Awards for recognizing RCBC’s efforts to deliver digital solutions that truly transform lives. Two decades ago, many doubted that low-income Filipinos, especially those in far-flung provinces, would ever bank through their phones. Back then, digital banking felt like a passing trend, a luxury. But today, it’s a way of life,” Villanueva said during his speech of gratitude at the Icons of Change Awarding Ceremony.
The RCBC Executive has been leading the Digital Enterprise and Innovations Group towards unprecedented success in the past six years. He has launched and scaled digital solutions, namely – RCBC Diskartech, the world’s first financial inclusion application in Taglish and Cebuano; RCBC ATM Go, the largest network of rural and remote mobile-point-of-service terminals, and RCBC Pulz, the first privately owned digital banking application that allows Filipinos to open bank accounts using international numbers.