The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is expanding the use of digital systems for cash assistance and food support programs for low-income households, including the distribution of mobile phones and the use of electronic wallets for grant disbursement.
More than 100 beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) received mobile phones under the “e-Panalo ang Kinabukasan” initiative in Pinabacdao, Samar, on April 27.
The devices were donated by DSWD partner Globe Telecom. The phones are intended to support the transition of beneficiaries to digital financial systems, including the use of e-wallets for receiving monthly cash grants.
“Tinutulungan natin ang mga 4Ps beneficiaries na maging ligtas sa paggamit ng teknolohiya, gayundin upang masiguro na magagamit nila ito to their fullest advantage,” DSWD Assistant Secretary and spokesperson Irene Dumlao said on Tuesday, April 28.
She added that the government is prioritizing access to services that can help improve household living conditions, including digital financial tools.
Before receiving the devices, beneficiaries underwent digital financial literacy sessions conducted by the DSWD and partner organizations.
The sessions covered topics such as online transaction safety, scam prevention, and basic use of digital financial platforms.
Among the lessons discussed were how to identify risks in online transactions and how to better manage savings.
The 4Ps program, institutionalized under Republic Act No. 11310, provides conditional cash grants to more than four million low-income households to support education, health, and nutrition requirements. (Ellalyn De Vera-Ruiz)
