Senator Christopher “Bong” Go has filed a bill that would require government agencies to expand digital payment services, a move aimed at reducing long queues, speeding up transactions and making the delivery of public funds more efficient while keeping cash payments as an option.

Senate Bill No. 2330, or the proposed eBayad Act, seeks to adopt secure and interoperable digital payment systems for government collections and disbursements, covering taxes, fees, salaries, allowances, honoraria, cash assistance and other public expenditures.

“Many Filipinos already use online banking, e-wallets and other digital payment platforms. We need to ensure these systems are safe, reliable and easy to use, especially for government transactions,” Go said.

The proposal cites Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas data showing that digital payments accounted for 52.8 percent of retail payment transactions by volume in 2023, surpassing the central bank’s 50-percent target under its Digital Payments Transformation Roadmap.

The measure also requires government agencies to issue electronic receipts and invoices for digital transactions to improve transparency and strengthen record-keeping. It likewise encourages local government units to help small businesses adopt digital payment systems through incentives and technical support while mandating stronger cybersecurity and data privacy safeguards.

“It does not eliminate cash payments. Our goal is to give people more payment options while making transactions faster and more convenient, without compromising the security of their money and personal information,” Go said