AI can help turn digital payroll and consented financial data into better access to savings, responsible credit and financial health
The future of work should give Filipino employees not only greater flexibility in how they work, but also more control over where they receive their salary and how their financial data can work for them, according to financial services platform leader Maya.
Speaking at the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP) 2026 Future of Work Forum, Kristoffer Rada, Head of Corporate Affairs at Maya, said digital payroll can become an important entry point to broader financial health as Open Finance, artificial intelligence and interoperable payment infrastructure continue to develop.
“The future of work should also mean better financial tools for workers. Reliable digital salary disbursement is the starting point,” Rada said. “When payroll connects people to saving, payments and responsible credit, it can support financial health well beyond payday.”
Modernizing payroll through Maya Business
Maya is working with BPO companies and the IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP) to expand financial access for nearly 1.9 million digital Filipino workers and explore ways to modernize payroll, disbursement and reimbursement workflows.
Through Maya Business, employers can use secure digital payroll and disbursement solutions to send salaries and other employee payouts at scale. This can help reduce manual processes and administrative work, particularly for large employers operating across multiple sites and around the clock.
Together, Maya Business and the Maya app connect both sides of payroll: employers can disburse salaries digitally, while workers can receive and manage their money in the same ecosystem. Employees can use their salary for everyday transactions, set funds aside in savings and begin building a stronger financial footprint.
As that footprint develops, data and AI can help financial institutions better understand customer needs and make more informed credit decisions, including for customers with limited traditional credit histories. Maya’s work with IBPAP also seeks to expand access to savings and responsibly underwritten credit cards for qualified digital workers.
“Payroll should not end with the disbursement of a salary,” Rada said. “Done well, it can connect workers to financial tools that help them manage everyday needs, prepare for emergencies and build toward longer-term goals.”
Over time, Maya also supports allowing employees to choose where their salaries are deposited. Supporting the Digital Bank Association of the Philippines (DiBA PH), it has advocated payroll portability, which would require bank-agnostic disbursement through interoperable payment infrastructure. Open Finance could complement this by allowing workers, with their consent, to securely share financial information and access services better suited to their needs.
“Digital payroll is the starting point. Payroll portability can eventually give workers more choice over where their salaries go, while Open Finance can help them use their own data to access more relevant services,” Rada said.
Building trust around AI
Rada said the debate around AI and the future of work should move beyond whether technology will automate particular tasks and focus on how businesses can use it to improve productivity and competitiveness without losing trust.
“AI is going to change how work gets done, but the bigger question for businesses is how to capture that value responsibly,” Rada said. “That means knowing where AI creates real value, where people still need to make the call and keeping clear accountability for the outcome.”
At Maya, AI is already used across digital onboarding, credit assessment, fraud detection, personalization, customer service and operations. Maya began building its formal AI governance framework in 2024, followed by a Board-approved policy and controls covering risk classification, testing, monitoring, security and human accountability.
Rada said wider adoption will require more than sophisticated technology. Businesses need people across functions who understand how AI can be applied responsibly, while government and industry need to continue investing in digital infrastructure, workforce capability and responsible AI adoption.
“The opportunity is bigger than adopting new technology,” Rada said. “It is about giving workers more choice, giving businesses better tools and building the infrastructure and trust that allow both to participate more fully in a digital economy.”
In frame: Toff Rada, Maya Head of Corporate Affairs (second from right) joins the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP) Future of Work Forum discussion with (from left): Ephraim D. Valenzuela, Chief of the Economic Development Group, CPBRD, House of Representatives; Atty. Hernan G. Nicdao, Commissioner, National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC); Christophe Bahuet, Country Representative, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP); and moderator Atty. Kathryn Pioquinto, ECCP Director for Advocacy & Government Affairs.