The Philippines will see a huge increase in government transactions done through their mobile phones, as the government implements the so-called new normal, where human interaction is limited and strict health protocols are in place.
The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) is spearheading the digitalization of government transactions to bring government services closer to the masses, as it seeks to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the country.
While this develops, some government transactions have already been made available online. These include the payment of taxes to the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), or settling of contributions to the Pag-IBIG Fund, or payment of dues for applications to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).
GCash, the leading mobile wallet in the Philippines, is providing these government agencies — and several others more — the payment gateway to allow ordinary Filipinos to pay for their government dues through their mobile phones.
“Through the GCash platform, we are helping the government bring critical services closer to the masses, while empowering ordinary Filipinos to transact with the government without the need of physical presence,” GCash President and CEO Martha Sazon said.
Aside from the aforementioned government agencies, GCash also allows users to settle their dues with other government agencies such as the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina), the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), the National Home Mortgage Finance Corp. (NHMFC), the National Statistics Office, and the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA).
Paying government dues through GCash is free of charge. Aside from savings in money, GCash users are also saving time from lining up at government offices, which increases the risk of viral transmission due to crowding.
Transacting with the government through GCash also safeguards GCash users from the risks of handling paper money. Studies have shown that paper money harbors bacteria and viruses for several days, such that the World Health Organization (WHO) suggests the immediate washing of hands after handling paper money.
“GCash provides Filipinos with a safe, secure, and convenient way of settling government dues. In the time of the so-called new normal, cashless will prove to be a necessity,” Sazon said.
Globe Fintech Innovations Inc. (Mynt), which operates GCash, is part of the portfolio companies of 917Ventures, the largest corporate incubator in the Philippines wholly-owned by Globe Telecom Inc.
GCash is available for download on the App Store and Google Play. For more information, kindly visit https://www.gcash.com/.