HANDSHAKE. Fintech Alliance Philippines Founding Chairman Lito Villanueva (2nd, left) and FICCI Vice President/Associate Treasurer Nitin Sogi formalize their partnership with a handshake. Flanking them are Fintech Alliance Philippines Trustee Ms. Griselda ‘Gay’ Santos (left) and FICCI Executive Director Ms. Aileen Leviste-Arao. (Photo: SDN) 

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HILTON MANILA, Pasay City, Sept. 08, 2026 (SDN) — People in the banking and finance industry are a busy lot, very busy, that they may need to relax a bit, unwind, and take care of their health and wellness.

And it is wise for everybody, including from other sectors, to join counting money, oogling computer screens and getting the body to flex its muscles for health and wellness. Meaning, giving time to do physical activities.

For the Fintech Alliance Philippines under the leadership of Founding Chairman Lito Villanueva, that’s exactly the point of holding “Sportstacular 2026: An Industry-wide Fitness Fest” this months of September and October.

In fact, to realize this health- and fitness-friendly sporting events, Fintech Alliance is collaborating with several organizations for the sporting event at Bridgestowne in Pasig City, Metro Manila, and at Astra Pickleball Center in Cainta, Rizal.

Let’s hear Villanueva speak about the dual-events Sportstacular 2026 in an exclusive interview on September 7 with SDN – SciTech & Digital News:

“We have invited a number of organizations to collaborate with our Sportstacular 2026, which is the Industry-wide Fitness Fest, and this will involve two sporting events, and this will be a Fun Run which will happen this month of September, and Pickleball Paddle Forward (Pickle Ball Tournament): Season 2 this coming October,” he says.

He said Runtastic Fun Run in Pasig City will be held on September 27, with Paddle Forward in Cainta on October 24-25.

The Fintech Alliance Philippines chairman said they were able to convince a number of partners to collaborate, led by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), other government agencies, and organizations and associations which are movers within the industry as they agreed to collaborate to help in holding Sporstacular 2026, “the bigges industry-wide sports event”.

On Monday, Fintech Alliance led by Villanueva signed several Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with BSP, Bankers Marketing Association of the Philippines (BMAP), National Association of Data Protection of the Philippines (NADPP), Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA), Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce (Phils.), Inc. (FICCI), Chamber of Thrift Banks (CTB), Philippine Business AI Association (PBAIA), and Public Relations Society of the Philippines (PRSP).

MORE TIE-UP. Fintech Alliance Philippines Founding Chairman Lito Villanueva in another collaborative handshake with PRSP President Ms. Ann Ruby B. Pista for Sportstacular 2026 sporting event. (Photo: SDN) 

Villanueva signed the respective MOU for every partner organization represented by, among others, CTB Executive Director Suzanne I. Felix; FICCI Vice President/Associate Treasurer Nitin Sogi; FICCPI Executive Director Ms. Aileen Leviste-Arao; Fintech Alliance.PH Trustee Griselda “Gay” Santos; PRSP President Ann Ruby B. Pista, head of Ardent Communications (ArdentComm) Public Relations Agency; and other signatories.

Matching stressful fintech activities with health & fitness

Still in the interview with SDN, Villanueva cited the importance of Filipinos maintaining and striving for their health and fitness even amidst trying and hectic business days.

While his group has many serious events, mostly in the banking and financial industry, he indicated that it is important to find time for one’s health and wellness through physical activities.

One of those he cited is the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Tech Summit in Manila the Fintech Alliance Philippines conducted which attracted more than 5,600 participants coming from 30 nations.

“So, this time around what we are now embarking on is to hold this health and wellness activity amongst players in the industry. Together with our regulators and government partners, we are united in having to ensure that everyone in this industry is healthy and is fit and is having fun to be together,” Villanueva explains.

While at it, he encourages other organizations in the banking and finance industry, and other non-industry organizations who may want to be part of the “spectacular” sporting event this year. He said interested organizations may register online on Fintech Alliance.PH to learn more information about the two events.

Villanueva in 2025 only Pickleball Tournament was held, marking this year its iteration and, now, with the Runtastic Fun Run. He added that for the events, there will be different categories that separate the novice and advance participants.

The Fintech Alliance.PH lead emphasized the importance of marrying fintech health with physical health, seemingly indicating that the pocket health and the muscle health should be in synch. — EDD K. USMAN / SDN (©)

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(Side note: PRSP’s and ArdentComms’ Ms. Ann Ruby B. Pista achieved a rare milestone when she won the Strategic Communication Leader Award at the inaugural Strategic Global Awards 2026 in Brussels, Belgium, which the Centre for Strategic Communication Excellence presented on April 16.)

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The author

EDD, a native of Sub-Saharan Africa Buluan/Datu Piang, Maguindanao del Sur, BARMM, college at UST, is a Manila-based journalist for over 40 years (33 years with Manila Bulletin), has five Media Awards (1 with University of the Philippines (UP) 2017 Science Journalism Award), covered and traveled over 40 times abroad), has contributed to Rappler, Business Mirror, Manila Business Insights, Panorama Magazine, Agriculture Magazine, and others, former Manila-based Foreign Correspondent of Saudi Arabia newspapers Saudi Gazette and Riyadh Daily, and The Peninsula (Qatar newspaper), with 2008 East-West Center (EWC) Journalism Seminar in the United States, 2000 Executive IT Seminar in Seoul, South Korea, with three Silver Awards in Photography, writes Muslim and Current Affairs, Enterprise, Science, Tech, Products Launch, and virtually everything under Heaven. (®)