In recent years, digital payment company Maya entered into several partnerships with local units and national agencies in the Philippine government. In 2018 alone, Maya and Valenzuela City launched ID cards that constituents could use for cashless payments in the New Marulas Public Market. That same year, Malolos City rolled out its own citizen ID program which saw Malolos residents using Maya to receive cash allowances and benefits. Maya has also been a huge part of the Philippines’ shift towards cashless transactions. Many now use Maya to settle government contributions at agencies like the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and Home Development Mutual Fund (Pag-IBIG).
But in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Maya’s mobile payments system has also been a boon for the Philippines’ social amelioration programs. This 2020, Maya worked in tireless support of Philippine government bodies to disburse 1.4 billion pesos to 120,000 citizens all over the country. Here’s some more information about how Maya paid it forward to Filipinos in great need, and the future of cashless transactions in public service delivery.
Cash Subsidy for Small Business Employees Made Directly Available to Maya
The Social Security System, or SSS, implements one of the country’s most well-known social insurance programs. In April 2020, the agency began payouts for its Small Business Wage Subsidy (SBWS) program. SBWS distributed aid to as many as 3 million member-employees amidst COVID-19-related crises in the labor sector. And as early as for the first tranche, SSS tapped Maya as a channel for receiving the subsidy.
Those eligible to receive the SBWS subsidy could have their money transferred to their bank account or could claim it from a remittance center. But a number of beneficiaries chose the highly convenient option of having the funds sent directly to their Maya e-wallets. This saved Maya users the trouble of going outside and lining up for hours just to receive their aid. Thus, Maya’s partnership with SSS for this subsidy program proved extremely helpful for remitting aid safely and on time.
Maya Disburses Funds to Displaced Workers in Need
In the same vein, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) made Maya an option for the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) program. This longstanding program of the country’s social welfare agency provides a safety net for disadvantaged individuals and families to use in times of crisis. The aid can be used to pay for expenses related to medical emergencies, burials, education, and transport, among others.
Beneficiaries of the program who have Maya accounts can easily encash the funds from their e-wallets at Maya Center branches nationwide. Alternatively, they can use their Maya balance to make cashless purchases of food, medicine, mobile data, and other essentials. This is an example of the role Maya plays in modernizing government programs to make them more responsive.
Local Government Units Partner with Maya to Distribute Aid to Constituents
It’s not only the national agencies that have stepped up in their delivery of services to Filipino citizens. Maya is also being used by LGUs like Quezon City, Caloocan City, Pasig City, Mandaluyong City, Las Piñas City, and the City of Manila for distributing aid.
These LGUs have now incorporated Maya into their systems for delivering regular benefits. Constituents who can receive benefits and additional cash assistance through Maya include persons with disability (PWDs), solo parents, senior citizens, and city scholars. In the near future, more LGUs may take the cue of QC, Caloocan, Pasig, Mandaluyong, Las Piñas, and Manila, adopting Maya to enhance their services.
Maya’s Emerging Role in the Philippine Government’s Cashless Ecosystem
Aid programs and funding aside, Maya is now an indispensable part of the Philippine government’s wider initiative for cashless, paperless transactions. Not only is Maya a reliable channel for receiving government aid and regular government benefits. It also provides a highly convenient and stress-free method to settle government dues. Plus, Maya’s Balik Bayad cashback program also applies to transactions with government billers. That means that ordinary Filipinos who choose Maya to settle government contributions can get extra cashback rewards.
Part of what makes these exchanges possible is the fact that smartphones are now widely used by Filipinos from all sectors. The cashless technologies that can be used from smartphones, like e-wallets, are also much more accessible, too. As demonstrated above in the examples of Maya and partner government agencies, e-wallets like Maya can play a big role in development and poverty reduction. They can be used as tools to sustain the user’s basic daily needs, keep their finances liquid, and uplift them in times of crisis.
Moving forward, Maya will strengthen its existing partnerships with the Philippine government and strive to create new ones. The company will continue to aid public servants in their duties to their constituency, ensuring that no Filipino is left behind in their finances.
