Michelle Fernandez

Crises today - geopolitical, climatic, cyber, or economic - move faster than traditional institutions can respond. At the same time, millions of people now live financial lives that cross borders: OFWs, tourists, digital nomads, expats, and cross‑border families who remain deeply connected to their home states even while living abroad. When disruptions occur, these global citizens rely on digital rails to stay financially secure and emotionally anchored.

In this environment, digital platforms have become core components of national crisis infrastructure, ensuring continuity of payments, identity assurance, and access to timely support. The Philippines offers a compelling example: during the recent global crisis, GCash, the Philippines’ leading finance platform, activated targeted, time‑bound interventions—including remittance support measures, accelerated verification, and relief pathways—within a regulatory framework that enabled agility without altering long‑term commercial models.

This workshop explores how Digital Public–Private Partnerships (Digital PPPs) can strengthen national resilience by enabling fintechs and regulators to collaborate on crisis‑ready financial architecture. Through a human‑centered persona activity, participants will examine how global citizens experience crises and what digital and regulatory systems must be in place to protect them.