MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) tapped e-wallet company PayMaya to help distribute financial aid to poor Filipinos.

Beneficiaries of the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) can now opt to receive aid through PayMaya, which can then be converted into cash at Smart Padala branches nationwide. They also have the option to keep the amount in their e-wallets and pay bills or buy goods online. (READ: [ANALYSIS] Challenges facing social amelioration for the coronavirus)

“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,” said PayMaya founder and chief executive officer Orlando Vea.

The DSWD earlier tapped PayMaya to serve as one of the methods for getting cash aid. (READ: Paano maaaring tumanggap ng tulong mula sa emergency subsidy program ng DSWD?)

Local government units (LGUs) of Manila, Mandaluyong, Pasig, Caloocan, and Quezon City also previously tapped PayMaya to distribute cash aid during the pandemic.

For those with no smartphone or reliable internet connection, cash aid can still be received through traditional means by approaching LGUs. – Rappler.com