New DSWD and GCash agreements to accelerate social services and disaster response

Two more agreements include the Quadripartite MOA signed between DSWD, LANDBANK, Treasury, and GCash to accelerate processing of social protection and public welfare services

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has signed two new agreements with GCash, the country’s leading finance app and largest cashless ecosystem, to strengthen the digitalization of its services, enabling faster transactions for social protection and public welfare.

The first agreement is a Quadripartite Memorandum of Agreement (QMOA) with the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr), Land Bank of the Philippines (Landbank), and GCash which integrates the country’s leading finance app into the agency’s Minors Travelling Abroad (MTA) clearance platform and its newly launched Harmonized Electronic License and Permit System (HELPS).

Partnership signing between DSWD, BTr, Landbank, and GCash on the upcoming integration of GCash into the newly launched Harmonized Electronic License and Permit System (HELPS) and Minors Travelling Abroad (MTA) System for securing registration, permits, and clearances by NGOs and individuals
(Left to Right) Alda Lou Cabrera, Manager of Public Sector-National Accounts; Jamie Carmela Tiu, Team Lead of Public Sector-National; Cleo Celeste C. Santos, Public Sector Head; Edgardo R. Layug Jr., GCash for Business Head; Atty. Megan Therese Y. Manahan, Director IV, DSWD Standards Bureau; Director Edmon B. Monteverde, Director IV, DSWD Protective Services Bureau; Sharon P. Almanza, Treasurer of the Philippines, BTr represented by Dir. Maura Lizza Espina; and Assistant Vice President Jessica B. Galorio, Land Bank of the Philippines - Batasan Branch Head

“Our engagement with GCash is a big help for the MTA in terms of paying the fees for the travel clearance. We’re exploring direct payments from our clients to GCash, enabling them to expedite the approval of their documents. We also see the need to expand partnerships with GCash, not just for the minors travelling abroad, but also for other social protective services programs that are handled by the Department of Social Welfare and Development,” said DSWD Protective Services Bureau Director IV Edmon Monteverde.

The MTA system regulates travel for minors going abroad, a government program to safeguard against child trafficking. By using GCash, clients can now settle fees remotely, streamlining applications and accelerating approvals.

Meanwhile, the HELPS platform allows NGOs and charitable institutions to process their accreditation, licensing, and permit applications online, which will now have built-in digital payments through GCash.

“We launched HELPS to solve long-standing inefficiencies. With the upcoming integration of GCash to the HELPS platform, turnaround times will surely improve significantly,” said DSWD Standards Bureau Director IV Atty. Megan Manahan.

As the designated payment channel, GCash collects the fees, which are then remitted through LANDBANK and credited to the Bureau of the Treasury, in line with national fund-handling rules, tapping the millions of users on the GCash app.

“This partnership ensures transparent and secure public collections,” said the Bureau of the Treasury Director Maura Lizza Espina. “It exemplifies how digital platforms can support public finance reform.”

LANDBANK Assistant Vice President and Batasan Branch Head Jessica Galorio explained the flow: “LANDBANK serves as a settlement bank for the collections of DSWD through GCash, to be credited to the Bureau of Treasury.”

Supporting the Kaagapay Donations Portal for faster disaster response

In a second agreement, the DSWD and GCash formalized a Memorandum of Agreement for the Kaagapay Donations Portal, which allows Filipinos to donate digitally to vulnerable groups and communities in crisis.

Signing of the Memorandum of Agreement between DSWD and GCash to integrate the Kaagapay Donations Portal into the GCash app to allow Filipinos to donate to vulnerable groups and communities in crisis across the Philippines
(Left to Right) Cleo Celeste C. Santos, Public Sector Head; Edgardo R. Layug Jr., GCash for Business Head; DSWD Assistant Secretary Marie Rafael for Partnerships Building and Resource Mobilization; and Alda Lou Cabrera, Manager of Public Sector-National Accounts

“This MOA expands our capacity to respond to emergencies,” said DSWD Assistant Secretary Marie Rafael. “GCash makes it possible for ordinary citizens to send help directly to DSWD-accredited organizations with just a few taps.”

The Kaagapay Donations Portal supports charitable donations rather than service payments. It allows contributors from across the country and abroad to extend assistance to children under treatment, victims of calamities, and low-income families in need of urgent support.

“The goal is to democratize giving,” added Rafael. “GCash allows donations regardless of geography or transaction size, enabling more Filipinos to take part in rebuilding lives.”

These efforts fall under GCash’s broader vision of “Finance for All,” a mission that aligns with the government’s drive for inclusive digitalization and e-governance. By making public services and philanthropic giving accessible via mobile devices, GCash is helping reshape how Filipinos interact with government and civil society.

“We’re proud to be a partner in nation-building,” said GCash head of GCash for Business Edgardo Layug Jr. “From social welfare disbursements to digital donations, these agreements reflect our commitment to inclusive fintech. This is what Finance for All looks like.”

For more information, visit https://www.gcash.com.

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