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

(L–R) GCash manager for public sector–national accounts Alda Lou Cabrera, team lead for public sector–national Jamie Carmela Tiu, public sector head Cleo Celeste C. Santos, and business head Edgardo R. Layug Jr., with DSWD standards bureau director IV Atty. Megan Therese Y. Manahan, director Edmon B. Monteverde, protective services bureau director IV Sharon P. Almanza, treasurer of the Philippines,represented by director Maura Lizza Espina of the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr), and LandBank of the Philippines–Batasan branch head, assistant vice president Jessica B. Galorio

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).

“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.”

(L-R) GCash public sector head Cleo Celeste C. Santos, business head Edgardo R. Layug Jr., DSWD partnerships building and resource mobilization assistant secretary Marie Rafael, and GCash manager for public sector-national accounts Alda Lou Cabrera

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.

“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. “GCashallows 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 GCashhead 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.