DSWD eyes e-wallet aid pending clean driver list
DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian held a press conference at DSWD New Press Center, 23 April, to discuss current challenges about the cash relief assistance (CRA) payout of the agency for public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers in Metro Manila. The DSWD official noted that an e-wallet platform is not an ideal mode to distribute cash assistance considering name duplication. The agency, however, will consider digital systems only if there is a clean list of PUV drivers. (Photo by: Sean Magbanua)
The Department of Social Welfare and Development said it may use e-wallets to distribute cash relief assistance to public utility vehicle drivers, but only after receiving a verified list of beneficiaries.
DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian said the agency supports digital disbursement, noting that existing programs such as the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program already use similar systems.
“We need to verify and validate. First, are these real individuals? Second, are they legitimate drivers?” Gatchalian said.
He stressed that the DSWD does not generate the list of beneficiaries, which is submitted by transport network companies.
“The DSWD operates on the premise that to ensure proper payout, there must be a clean list,” he said.
Gatchalian added that the lists provided so far contain errors and duplicate entries.
“Unfortunately, the lists being submitted to us by TNCs are junk lists,” he said.
The agency has set a 27 April deadline for transport network companies to submit a clean and verified list to facilitate the proper distribution of assistance.