by UnionBank Human Resources Group
2024 marked a transformative chapter for the Payments and Emerging Technologies Operations (PETO) team—a journey that began in complexity and culminated in clarity, purpose, and measurable impact.
Faced with legacy processes and fragmented workflows, PETO didn’t just adapt—they led a reinvention. The team transitioned from traditional inward/outward payment processing to a channel-based operating model, empowering Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) to manage their channels end-to-end. This shift deepened specialization, fostered ownership, and elevated operational excellence.
The rebranding to Payments and Emerging Technologies Operations signaled more than a name change—it reflected a mindset shift. With the integration of the Emerging Technologies unit, PETO embraced a broader mission: to champion UnionBank’s payments innovation agenda and drive the future of financial services.
Training was rigorous. Processes were unfamiliar. Expectations were high. Yet the team leaned into Magis—the pursuit of greater impact—and Ubuntu—the spirit of shared growth. They supported one another, learned rapidly, and emerged stronger.
Innovation with Purpose
PETO delivered 58 automation and enhancement initiatives, each rooted in frontline insights and operational experience. These weren’t just fixes—they were strategic solutions that streamlined systems, reduced risk, and improved efficiency. Remarkably, these enhancements were implemented at minimal to zero cost, thanks to close collaboration with in-house IT partners—delivering high-impact results without straining the Bank’s resources.
One of the most transformative initiatives was the Finacle Auto-Posting Project, which automated 78% of previously manual transactions. This enabled:
- Credit of inward remittances by 5:00 PM instead of 10:00 PM
- Turnaround time for rejected inward remittances reduced from T+5 to T+1
- The cumulative effect of these bundled automations allowed the team to shift focus to higher-value tasks, significantly reduce overtime, and enhance work-life balance. Where team members once logged out at 10:30 PM, they now finish by 6:30 PM.
Global Payments
Overtime dropped from 250.05 hours in March 2025 to 73.39 hours by September—a 71% reduction
Local Payments
Monthly overtime reduced from 228 hours in 2024 to 94 hours in 2025—a 60% improvement
Operational hygiene also improved dramatically. From 81non-recurring reconciliation items in October 2024, PETO achieved zero unidentified transactions and overdue items from June to September 2025, as validated by the CPS-Reconciliation Team.
Thinking Like Owners
PETO’s impact extended beyond operations. On the first business day of 2025, the team flagged a systemic issue in fee collections across payment channels. Their solution enabled fee charging on inward SWIFT remittances to digital accounts, resulting in:
- ₱50M in collections by September 30, 2025
- Projected ₱67M by year-end
- Additional ₱14M from expanded fee charges to RTGS and PDDTS channels
This initiative directly contributed to the Bank’s bottom line and showcased PETO’s strategic mindset and ownership. Team members were consistently reminded to treat the funds as if they were their own—fostering greater care, precision, and accountability in processing.
The team’s proactive approach minimized escalations to management and improved responsiveness to inquiries—marking a significant improvement from 2024 performance.
PETO’s reinvention is a powerful example of UnionBank’s purpose in action— Reimagining Banking to Uplift Lives. By embracing innovation, ownership, and collaboration, the team transformed backroom operations into a breakthrough engine for growth, efficiency, and customer impact.
