The governor of The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Nestor Espenilla died fighting cancer. He was 60. Espenilla, a veteran on more than 3 decades at the central bank when he took over as governor in July 2017, is credited for leading a move to digitize retail payments to broaden financial inclusivity. He was diagnosed with tongue cancer in late 2017 and was on leave intermittently last year. The BSP Monetary Board named deputy governor Almasara Cyd Tuano-Amador as the interim officer-in-charge, until President Rodrigo Duterte names his own caretaker or appoints a new governor to complete the rest of Espenilla’s 6-year term. Espenilla was known for his monetary policy clout and expertise in banking supervision, driving reforms in the sector that included improving financial transparency and overhauling mismanaged lenders.
