GCash, the leading mobile wallet in the Philippines, is the digital transfer platform of choice for the majority of the beneficiaries of the Kalingang Quezon City Program Online Payout.
As sectors greatly affected by the Luzon-wide community quarantine, more than 6,000 persons with disability (PWDs), senior citizens, and solo parents received P2,000 in financial assistance for the first batch of the program. Of the total, over 5,200 have chosen GCash as their payout option, allowing them to unlock the benefits of finance through their mobile phones.
“It’s a win-win situation for both the city and its residents not only because it’s a practical way of implementing social welfare programs on the part of the public sector, but also because these beneficiaries have the most limited mobility given that they are the most vulnerable to the virus,” GCash President and CEO Martha Sazon said.
Kalinga QC is the supplemental Social Amelioration Program (SAP) for the vulnerable sectors in the city, aiming to grant P2,000 in financial aid to PWDs, solo parents, and senior citizens, among others, with GCash as one of the options for disbursement.
For her part, Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte said the local government will continue its social welfare program to help people cope with the effects of the pandemic.
“We have disbursed financial assistance to more than 6,000 PWDs, senior citizens, and solo parents in Quezon City for the first batch of the Kalingang QC Program Online Payout,” she said. “We will continue to provide assistance in the coming days.”
Quezon City has decided to tap e-wallets like GCash to implement the contactless disbursement of their financial assistance to residents affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
This method helps with the government’s initiative of flattening the curve since electronic payout helps decongest distribution centers. Aside from this, it also promotes accountability and transparency as each transaction leaves a digital footprint.
Choosing GCash provides beneficiaries with a safer alternative to physical transactions, as health experts around the world have found that paper money increases the risk of viral transmission since harmful bacteria and viruses can survive on its surface for several days. Thus, government units also are encouraged to utilize such platforms to promote accountability and health safety in the distribution of financial aid to intended beneficiaries.
The country has recently seen a rise in digital financial activity since restaurants, grocery stores, and other business establishments have resorted to e-wallets such as GCash to be more efficient in transacting money amid the pandemic. To date, the country’s leading mobile wallet has over 73,000 partner merchants across the Philippines.
By availing of their cash assistance through GCash, beneficiaries can use their mobile wallets to purchase groceries, pay bills to over 400 billers, and even use it as the mode of payment for their online subscriptions. They may also use the funds to pay their utility bills or government dues, or transfer cash to over 40 banks.
Through its digital wallet, GCash paved the way for 20 million Filipinos to have a safer and more efficient way of transacting either online or offline. GCash believes that cashless will be a major part of the new normal.
“GCash is always ready to partner with local government units to alleviate the burden of helping their constituents cope with the crisis,” Sazon said.
Globe Fintech Innovations Inc. (Mynt), which operates GCash, is part of the portfolio companies of 917Ventures, the largest corporate incubator in the Philippines wholly-owned by Globe Telecom Inc.
GCash is available for download on the App Store and Google Play. For more information, kindly visit https://www.gcash.com/.
Liked this post? Follow SwirlingOverCoffee on Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram.
