DSWD, PayMaya partner for cashless distribution of financial aid

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has tapped digital wallet app PayMaya for the cashless distribution of financial aid to beneficiaries of its Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) program.

In a statement, the DSWD said that through the partnership with PayMaya beneficiaries of AICS can easily encash their cash aid from any of the 30,000 Smart Padala branches nationwide through their PayMaya accounts.

“They may also use the funds in their accounts to pay for bills, groceries, or other daily essentials, purchase airtime load, or send money to other PayMaya users through the PayMaya app,” it said.

The AICS program is a regular cash assistance program of the DSWD which provides beneficiaries an outright cash to help in their medical, educational, burial, or transportation needs as immediate aid to help them recover from any crisis situation.

“Mobile wallets like PayMaya are playing a critical role in enabling Filipinos to gain access to much-needed financial aid from government agencies and local government units. We support DSWD and the rest of the government’s efforts to digitize citizen disbursements,” PayMaya founder and CEO Orlando Vea said in a separate statement.

The DSWD said it also tapped PayMaya as one of the featured payment methods in the ReliefAgad app.

Beneficiaries of the Social Amelioration Program (SAP) may also choose to receive their cash aid through their respective PayMaya accounts, it said.

The department said it will continue to find innovative, safer, and convenient ways to improve its cash disbursement mechanisms to provide immediate assistance to Filipinos during the public health crisis. —LDF, GMA News