The banking arm of the Yuchengco Group of Companies, Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC), and RCBC Bankard Services Corporation recently partnered with Whoscall, a global anti-scam application, to protect its customers from short service message (SMS) and call scams that affect the online banking experience for its depositors and credit card holders.

In sealing a memorandum of understanding recently at the Yuchengco Center in BGC, Taguig City, Gogolook’s chief operating officer, Manwoo Joo, emphasized the growing need to rebuild trust in digital communication.

Full confidence

“Our mission is to empower users with full confidence in every digital interaction,” Joo shared. “A few decades ago, answering phone calls was a normal part of life — people even looked forward to it. But today, there’s noticeable hesitation, even when businesses like RCBC are trying to reach their customers.”

“This hesitation stems from a lack of trust, and that’s where we step in. Our goal is to equip users, particularly Filipinos, with the tools they need to identify and verify potential threats in advance. We want to provide a protective shield so they can enjoy the digital world with peace of mind,” Joo explained.

Woo further emphasized that the partnership goes beyond a simple business agreement.

Real difference

“This is about making a real difference in the Philippine banking sector through technology. I’m genuinely excited about the impact we can have,” Joo said.

Gogolook, the leading global TrustTech company, is the developer of the Whoscall app.

As part of the collaboration, RCBC and RCBC Credit Card holders will receive free access to Whoscall Premium Basic.

The subscription includes automated features such as automated call blocking of identified scam calls based on its global anti-scam database, automatic updates to its database, and auto-scanning of links from text messages, as well as detection of scam images.

Lito Villanueva, executive vice president and chief innovation and inclusion officer at RCBC, highlighted the importance of cybersecurity in the bank’s innovation efforts.

“One thing I want to emphasize is that this initiative is deeply embedded in the bank’s core mission, particularly in promoting cybersecurity, cyber hygiene and cyber resiliency among our users,” Villanueva said.

Cutting-edge AI-driven scam detection

“At RCBC, we recognize that as digital financial services continue to evolve, so do the threats that come with them… Gogolook’s cutting-edge AI-driven scam and fraud detection, and scam prevention tools align seamlessly with RCBC’s vision of fostering a safer, more inclusive digital economy,” Villanueva added.

For his part, Arniel Vincent Ong, president and CEO of RCBC Bankard Services Corporation, stated, "We highly value the trust of our cardholders and are committed to protecting them from fraud. By integrating Whoscall's advanced technology into our services, we reinforce our dedication to safeguarding our over 1.3 million RCBC Credit Card holders from fraudulent activity. This initiative enhances the security of their transactions and aims to foster a greater sense of trust in digital financial interactions."

Gogolook Philippines Country Head Mel Migriño said the partnership is an important step toward helping RCBC customers and advancing the broader cybersecurity landscape in the Philippines.