Palawan 4Ps go digital with pre-loved smartphones

In the remote Palawan towns of Bataraza and Brooke’s Point, level 1 beneficiaries of the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) get their cash assistance through automated teller machines (ATMs). But it takes an eight-hour journey to reach the nearest ATM. Another option to get the money is through informal agents but they charge unfair fees.

Accessing cash grants will now be just at their fingertips as Globe, GCash and the DSWD are working together to help 4Ps families from the two towns take their first step into the digital world. A pre-loved phone donation drive under the collaboration saw the collection of used smartphones that were then refurbished and turned over to 256 4Ps beneficiaries, many of whom are using smartphones for the very first time.

Coupled with hands-on training by volunteers from the telecommunications company, the country’s leading finance app and largest cashless ecosystem and Ayala Foundation, the Palawan beneficiaries set up their mobile phones, registered their SIMs and opened GCash accounts. The BPI Foundation also held financial literacy sessions to help families feel more confident in managing their funds.

“This is about inclusion and access to opportunity,” said Carl Cruz, Globe president and CEO. “We hope these devices would help families not only receive their cash grants easily, but also for them to get the various opportunities to uplift their lives that technology makes possible” such as online learning, starting small digital businesses, or staying connected with loved ones.

The initiative is part of DSWD’s “E-Panalo ang Kinabukasan” campaign, which brings digital financial literacy and tools to 4Ps families, especially those in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas. It follows earlier efforts in Navotas and Romblon, where more families also received mobile phones and digital training. In each location, the response has been encouraging, with a mix of gratitude, excitement, and a growing sense of hope.

“Our aim is to bring government services closer to where people are,” said DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian. “With digital tools in hand, families no longer need to walk long distances just to access their cash grants. That alone can change lives.”

“This is more than just onboarding users, it is about financial inclusion and making sure no one gets left behind in the digital economy. Beneficiaries can receive their GCash directly and efficiently and they also gain access to digital financial services to support their daily needs.” said Oscar Enrico Reyes Jr., president and CEO of G-Xchange Inc., the mobile wallet operator of GCash.

This digital and financial empowerment campaign was rolled out in coordination with DSWD’s MIMAROPA Field Office, where many barangays under its jurisdiction remain geographically isolated and underserved. The collaboration is aligned with the national government’s push for e-governance and financial inclusion as strategic pillars of economic recovery and poverty alleviation.

The collaboration reaffirms Globe and GCash’s commitment to digital and financial inclusion. More importantly, it serves as a powerful example of how technology, when made accessible, can change lives, one person at a time.