UNAWA COO Atty. Gino Jacinto spoke at a SPEED event in Quezon City, organized by Startup Village. He discussed SME challenges in digital transitions and introduced SignSecure and UCheck for secure transactions and compliance. The event is part of a USAID initiative to enhance SME competitiveness and digital inclusion.
Quezon City, June 21, 2024—Startup Village organized and hosted an insightful session at the University Hotel in UP Diliman as part of the USAID-funded Strengthening Private Enterprises for the Digital Economy (SPEED) initiative. The event, which featured UNAWA COO Atty. Gino Jacinto, attracted
an audience primarily consisting of members from the Philippine Ecommerce
Association (PECA). Entrepreneurs were eager to enhance their businesses
through the latest technological innovations.
Atty. Jacinto’s talk, “SME Guide to Secure Digital Transactions and
Anti-Money Laundering,” focused on the critical challenges small and
medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) face as they transition to digital document
systems. He highlighted the necessity of upfront investments in technology and
training, which can be daunting for SMEs with limited resources. Additionally,
he discussed the complexity of navigating regulatory requirements without
dedicated legal or compliance teams.
Fresh from the success of UNAWA’s
Freedom campaign, Atty. Jacinto introduced two groundbreaking tools: SignSecure
and UCheck.
SignSecure, which uniquely integrates facial recognition
into its e-signature platform, was a key highlight of the presentation. This
innovative feature ensures that the person signing the document is verified at
every step, a security measure unmatched by any other e-signature platform. “SignSecure enables businesses to close
deals securely and efficiently, eliminating doubts,” said Atty. Jacinto
emphasizing the platform’s enhanced security, legal enforceability, and
seamless transaction process.
Additionally, Atty. Jacinto unveiled UCheck, a
comprehensive solution that empowers businesses to make informed decisions and
protect against financial crimes. “UCheck offers robust protection against
financial crimes and ensures constant compliance with all regulations,” he
noted. By leveraging global sanctions lists, Politically Exposed Person (PEP)
checks, Adverse Media checks, and more, UCheck delivers the transparency
necessary for building trust and ensuring business security.
The event is part of a series under the USAID-funded SPEED initiative, which
aims to conduct 42 sessions nationwide involving at least 1,260 SMEs. The SPEED
Activity collaborates with the government and private sector to mobilize the
digital economy for enterprise-led development. The project’s key objectives
include improving SME capacity and access to e-commerce platforms, expanding e-payment
systems and FinTech innovations, integrating e-commerce platforms with
logistical supply chains, and increasing consumer awareness and protection.
By encouraging more SMEs to adopt digital technologies, the SPEED initiative
seeks to accelerate their competitiveness, drive innovation, create jobs, and
enhance market reach, thereby promoting inclusion in the digital economy.