May 2020] Caloocan City has joined the fast growing number of satisfied local government units that are using the Maya wallet as a way to distribute financial aid to their constituents during the enhanced community quarantine, as it disburses more than P14 million worth of financial aid to University of Caloocan City (UCC) students via Maya and Maya Center.
Some 13,000 students of the city public university are receiving the financial aid sent by the local government unit (LGU) directly to their Maya accounts through a digital voucher system.
When students receive an SMS informing them that they have received funds from the Caloocan LGU, all they have to do is "claim" the voucher in the app and it will be credited instantly to their Maya account.
Once received, the funds can be encashed through more than 800 Maya Center centers in Caloocan alone and several hundreds more in adjacent cities, many of which are available even in small neighborhoods. Students may also choose to use the cash aid to pay their bills, buy airtime load, send money to family, or do online groceries using the Maya app.
Safer, more convenient contactless payments
"Many of these students belong in households whose parents have temporarily lost their livelihood due to the quarantine, so every bit of assistance helps. By partnering with Maya, we are able to provide this cash aid quickly and safely to all our beneficiaries,” said Caloocan City Mayor Oscar Malapitan.
Last week, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas highlighted the necessity for e-Payments during the ECQ. In a statement, BSP Governor Benjamin Diokno noted "the importance of shifting consumer behavior toward e-payments, considering the limitations on people’s movement and activities during the ECQ."
Caloocan, together with Manila City, are the first LGUs that have already disbursed financial aid to citizens via cashless means during this Enhanced Community Quarantine period.
“Cities like Caloocan are already realizing the immense benefits of mobile wallets in providing assistance to their citizens at this time where it is needed the most.
Because it is easy to open a Maya account using only a mobile phone and there are Maya Center agents in every neighbourhood, national government agencies and LGUs can conveniently and safely provide assistance through these e-Money channels.”
- Orlando Vea, Maya Founder and CEO
Distributing financial aid through mobile wallets is a safer, more convenient, and more efficient means for local governments since the recipients no longer have to queue and congregate in claiming areas to get the money, allowing citizens to practice social distancing in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Digital wallets also help make the process more transparent since every disbursement comes with a transaction log, ensuring that the funds go to their intended recipients,” Mr. Vea added.
On the legislative front, the House of Representatives through its “New Normal for the Workplace and Public Spaces Bill” is recommending the use of cashless payments for retail stores and transportation services as everyone prepares to welcome a new world once the crisis is over.
Maya has partnered with various government agencies to help the most vulnerable sectors of society cope with the effects of the quarantine. These include the Social Security System (SSS) for the Small Business Wage Subsidy program (SBWS); the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) for its Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS) fund; as well as the local governments of Manila, Mandaluyong, Caloocan and Quezon City.
Maya is also working with other local government and agencies to help make distribution of cash assistance faster, more efficient, and more transparent.
