METRO

Caloocan City wins top digital transformation honors

Pat C. Santos

The local government of Caloocan has been recognized by financial technology giant GCash for its successful integration of digital finance into the distribution of public aid and city services.

During the recently concluded GCash Digital Excellence Awards, Caloocan earned the Excellence in Digital Transformation Award and the Palengke Digital Breakthrough Growth Award.

The honors highlight the city’s partnership with the platform to modernize transactions and streamline the disbursement of government benefits.

The city currently uses the digital platform to distribute monthly allowances for single parents, birthday cash gifts for senior citizens and financial aid for workers. GCash also serves as an accredited collection partner for city taxes and fees.

Mayor Dale Gonzalo Malapitan said the recognition proves the city is moving in the right direction by making public services more accessible through technology.

“Since we collaborated with GCash, we have been able to serve our citizens better, especially taxpayers and members of vulnerable sectors,” Malapitan said. “They no longer need to go to City Hall and wait in line to make payments or receive the benefits intended for them.”

The mayor expressed his gratitude for the awards and pledged to continue seeking technological solutions to improve the efficiency of local governance.

He cited that partnerships with private sector fintech companies are essential to his administration’s goal of making programs more convenient for the people of Caloocan.

“In our upcoming programs, expect us to continue collaborating with companies like GCash to ensure faster implementation and better results for our residents,” Malapitan said.