CATBALOGAN CITY — The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), on February 26, conducted the pilot implementation of the Digital Financial Literacy Program at the Municipal Building in Guiuan, Eastern Samar.
This initiative, led by the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), aims to enhance financial inclusivity and sustainability among program beneficiaries in alignment with Republic Act 11310, which institutionalizes the 4Ps and emphasizes the importance of providing beneficiaries with capability-building activities to improve their well-being sustainably.
The pilot activity included an orientation on financial literacy and discussions on digital financial services. Partner representatives from Landbank of the Philippines (LBP), Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) Foundation, Ayala Foundation, GCash, and Maya introduced their services to the 4Ps beneficiaries. Following the discussions, Pantawid household beneficiaries were able to register with their preferred digital financial service provider.
Fifty Pantawid households from different mainland and island barangays of Guiuan attended the orientation. This initiative is expected to benefit the 288,746 Pantawid households in the Eastern Visayas Region.
Eastern Visayas is one of six regions in the country piloting the Digital Financial Literacy Program, following Secretary Rex Gatchalian’s directive to make significant strides towards mainstreaming the poor in the country’s financial system.
The event was attended by Undersecretary for NHTS and 4Ps Vilma Cabrera; Assistant Secretary for e-Governance and Information and Technology (IT) Concerns and Chief Information Officer Julius Exequel Gorospe; 4Ps National Program Manager Gemma Gabuya; Director of Financial Management Service Wayne Belizar; Director of the Information and Communications Technology Management Service Christian Regunay; Regional Director Grace Subong; Assistant Regional Director for Operations Antonio Dolaota; Division Chief Paula Unay; MSWDO Zenaida Cunanan; and Municipal Administrator Kinna Mae Kwan.
Usec. Cabrera thanked the Local Government Unit of Guiuan for hosting the activity and the partner representatives for their full support. She also acknowledged the beneficiaries’ interest in participating in this transformative journey, emphasizing that the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program is continuously working to strengthen its systems and mechanisms to increase the knowledge of the 4Ps beneficiaries towards financial inclusivity. (With reports from DSWD)
