GCash and Bohol LGU launch “Sulong Turismo”

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Leading mobile wallet push for cashless digital tourism

As part of its vision to champion countryside development through digitalization, GCash, the leading mobile wallet in the country,with the Provincial Government of Bohol to revitalize the local tourism industry in the province through their joint campaign, Sulong Turismo.

GCash chief marketing officer Neil Trinidad

Sulong Turismo aims to help boost the tourism sector by integrating digital payment solutions in local tourism campaigns. Local government units (LGUs) with popular tourist spots will be empowered to adopt convenient cashless payments for such transactions as travel booking and accommodation, among others. By leveraging on these digital tools and highlighting their wide-ranging benefits, the campaign hopes to enhance customer satisfaction, drive repeat visits, and invigorate the overall tourist experience.

“We are proud to be a part of the Sulong Turismo initiative. Financial inclusion towards economic growth has always been the main goal of GCash. And we believe that this can be achieved through partnerships with both the public and private sector, so that together we can present opportunities to business owners as well as the consumers, for a safer, secure, convenient and profitable payment solutions that can boost the domestic tourism industry,” said GCash Chief Marketing Officer, Neil Trinidad.

The campaign was officially inaugurated through a dynamic seminar and dialogue, where the advantages of a digitalized tourism industry were extensively discussed, with a particular focus on LGUs with prominent tourist destinations. During the event, the DOT unveiled plans for infrastructure development, a dedicated tourism website, and a cutting-edge tourism app. These initiatives aim to incentivize tourism-related businesses to embrace digital payments, ultimately fostering growth and prosperity in the sector.

Distinguished guests who attended the event included Bohol Governor Hon. Erico Aristotle C. Aumentado, DOT Chief Tourism Officer Region 7 Dr. Gelena Asis-Dimpas, BSP Regional Head of Economic Affairs Greg Baccay, Philippine Information Agency Head Rey Anthony Chiu, Panglao City Vice Mayor Noel Hormachuelos, Tagbilaran City Mayor Jane Yap, and GCash Chief Marketing Officer, Neil Trinidad.

During the event, the concept of a tourism circuit was presented. A tourism circuit encompasses a strategic route or itinerary that connects multiple tourist attractions within a specific region. This structured approach promotes the region's diverse offerings and entices tourists to spend more time discovering unique destinations.

“The active participation of local businesses, including micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), market vendors, and transport groups, further exemplified the strong collaboration between the public and private sectors in propelling the region's tourism industry. We are very happy to be the first municipality to have pioneered this initiative and we are hoping that other municipalities would follow our lead.” said Bohol Governor Hon. Erico Aristotle C. Aumentado.

By promoting the value of digital solutions in showcasing tourism sites, "Sulong Turismo" helps streamline operations, enhance accessibility, and ensure sustainability while offering a seamless and enjoyable experience for both tourists and businesses alike.

The GCash app is available for free on Google Play and the App Store. For more information, visit www.gcash.com.ph.

GCash, Dasmariñas LGU seal partnership for cashless payments

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Continuing its goal of making government transactions faster and safer for millions of Filipinos, GCash, the country’s leading mobile wallet, recently signed a memorandum of agreement with the City Government of Dasmariñas, Cavite to help residents adopt safe and convenient digital financial solutions.

(From left) GCash Luzon public sector team lead Rosemarie Abarquez, South Luzon public sector account manager Emilio Ylanan , Dasmariñas City Mayor Hon. Jenny Austria-Barzaga , GCash AVP and head for public sector and partnerships Lhen Pavia and Dasmariñas City administrator Ariel San Gabriel

The signing of the agreement was led by City mayor Jeniffer Barzaga and GCash AVP & head of public sector and partnerships Lhen Pavia.

Under the partnership, payments to the various offices and departments of the Dasmarinas Local Government Unit’s (LGU) can be paid faster and more efficiently through the GCash Pay Bills feature within the app.

“We at GCash, have always put emphasis on the importance of partnerships with the public sector in order to reach out to the unbanked and underserved communities and equip them with digital financial solutions for easier, safer, and more secure transactions anytime. We look forward to more partnerships with LGUs to help Filipinos have better lives,” says Pavia

With its shared goal of promoting digitalization in communities nationwide, Mayor Barzaga says, “This collaboration with GCash signifies our commitment to embrace digitalization so we enhance government services and serve our constituents better.”

Dasmariñas City joins smart cities like Victorias, Bacolod, and San Fernando, Pampanga which has now enabled digital payments and has educated its employees and constituents on the features and benefits of using e-wallets such as GCash.

Through strong collaborations with LGUs and key partners, GCash helps empower communities across the nation, especially the unbanked, taking its financial inclusion vision into a reality.

The GCash app is available for free on Google Play, and the App Store.

For more information, visit https://www.gcash.com

World Immunization Week Health Connect Forum highlights multi-sectoral best practices for vaccination

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The Department of Health (DOH), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Pasay City Local Government Unit (LGU) and the Senior Citizens’ Partylist came together to showcase how every sector is able to contribute to improving vaccination coverage during this year’s World Immunization Week Health Connect Forum.

Health Connect Forum- Each Sector's Role in the Big Catch-up

The forum, organized by the the Philippine Foundation for Vaccination (PFV), Philippine Medical Association (PMA), Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Association (PHAP), and  Sanofi Pasteur Inc., focused on “Each Sector’s Role in the Big Catch-up” to ensure the protection of people of all ages against vaccine preventable diseases.

 “The time is now to build everything to give vaccines to those who need it most. The children and the elderly who are still unaware of vaccines, are at highest risk of dying.” said PFV Executive Director Dr. Lulu Bravo. PMA President Dr. Maria Minerva Calimag added, “Vulnerable populations also include the 14-17M indigenous peoples whose health concerns we should also address. Physicians at the PMA will join hands with the government to address gaps in implementation.”

 The DOH noted that the Philippines ranked fourth in the world with the highest number of zero-dose children, which is why their priority is catch-up immunization for children who missed out on their schedules the past few years. They emphasized that this would only be successful through collaborative efforts. “Vaccination is a whole-of-nation approach. That is why we need everyone's help in order for us to catch-up and improve our vaccine coverage." said DOH National Immunization Program Manager Dr. Janis Macazo.

Meanwhile, DILG Undersecretary Margarita Gutierrez noted that learnings from the COVID vaccination program can be used for all vaccination programs. “We developed the LGU guide for rehabilitation and recovery for COVID-19 to serve as an operational manual for similar situations,” she said.

This was echoed by Pasay City Health Officer Dr. Mercedes Noble, who coordinates the city’s National Immunization Program. “Our partners are very supportive in using their venues for mass vaccination programs. Our very dedicated barangay health center staff go beyond their office hours and even weekends, so no child will be left behind.”

DSWD Director for Policy Development and Planning Bureau Rhodora Alday further shared how their programs are designed to address all of the social economic dimension which includes access to health services.

Director Alday said that the 4P’s program (Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program) helped incentivize beneficiaries for vaccination. “We are targeting around 700,000 households that have children below 18 years old to be enrolled in the program. Hopefully DSWD will help increase the immunization campaign through this program. Moreover, with a strong partnership that we have at the LGU we can design convergence programs to help free immunization available to people,” said Dir. Alday.

The forum also highlighted that catch-up immunization should not be limited to routine childhood vaccines. Atty. Charles de Belen from the Senior Citizens’ Partylist talked about ensuring our elderly loved ones are also fully protected from infectious diseases such as the flu. “Through our legislative agenda and initiatives, we try to expand the availability of immunizations that are inaccessible to senior citizens,” he said. Partylist Representative Congressman Ordanes’ HB 2097 recently passed the first reading in Congress.

“We now have vaccines to prevent more than 20 life-threatening diseases for people of all ages. In this age and time, no one should die from vaccine preventable diseases,” said Mr. Teodoro B. Padilla, PHAP Executive Director Mr. Teodoro Padilla. With PHAP bringing together these stakeholders, both public and private sectors have shown strong support for continued vaccination efforts this World Immunization Week.

The media forum, moderated by journalist and health advocate Jing Castañeda, can be viewed on the Facebook pages of PMA, PFV and PHAP.

Parañaque Express Lingkod Office, the country’s first one stop shop government, service center, now open in Ayala Malls Manila Bay

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Upscaling the quality and delivery of public services to its constituents, Parañaque City LGU, in partnership with Ayala Malls, has recently launched its ambitious joint project - the first-ever Express Lingkod Office (ELO) Serbisyo Center in Ayala Malls Manila Bay.

At the ribbon-cutting of the Paranaque Express Lingkod Office Serbisyo Center at Ayala Malls by the Bay (from L-R): DILG Director, John A. Visca, City Veterinarian, Dra. Karen Vicencio, Ayala Malls Manila Bay General Manager France Eusebio, DILG NCR Regional Director Ma. Lourdes Agustin, DTI NCR Regional Director Marcelina Alcantara, Ayala Malls Vice President, AC Legarda, Ayala Malls President, Christopher Maglanoc, Mayor Eric L. Olivarez, BPLO Chief and Data Protection Officer, Atty. Melanie T. Soriano-Malaya, Paranaque District 2 Councilor Florencia Amurao and Paranaque District 1 Councilor Vandolph Quizon

Located at the fourth floor of the mall, the one-stop-shop service center is the first of its kind in the country, bringing under one roof both personal and business frontline services of the Parañaque City Government.

The ELO Serbisyo Center provides a full range of government-related services within reach of any transacting individual or business entity in one accessible and convenient location.

Present at the launch were Ayala Malls President Christopher Maglanoc, Paranaque City Mayor Eric L. Olivarez, DILG NCR Regional Director Ma. Lourdes Agustin, DTI NCR Regional Director Marcelina Alcantara, BPLO Chief and Data Protection Officer Atty. Melanie T. Soriano - Malaya, and other officials.

Parañaque residents can now conveniently process their COVID-19 vaccination and certificate, senior citizen cards and booklet, police clearance, traffic-related violations settlement, health certificates, birth certificates, marriage certificates, death certificates, and many more.

Likewise, the hub makes it easier for enterprises to process their business registration, business permits, building permits, mayor’s permits, real property taxes, and community taxes, among others.

Parañaque City Mayor Eric L. Olivarez at the opening of the ELO Serbisyo Center

Left to right: Ayala Malls President Christopher Maglanoc, Chief of Business Permits and Licensing Office Atty. Melanie Soriano-Malaya, Parañaque City Health Office Head Dr. Olga Virtusio, and Parañaque City Mayor Eric Olivarez during the tour of ELO Serbisyo Center

The key departments are co-located in the public service center, including the Business Permits and Licensing Office, City Health Office, Local Civil Registrar’s Office, City Treasurer’s Office, Persons with Disability Affairs Office, and Office of Senior Citizen’s Affairs, etc.

“Today, the first-ever Express Lingkod Office Serbisyo Center is open for business, a momentous occasion that we are happy to commemorate. The event today is a culmination of an idea hatched around the middle of last year between our Manila Bay team, BPLO head Atty. Malaya, and the office of the good Mayor Olivarez. From a simple satellite office, this eventually evolved to something bigger – a one-stop-shop for all government-related services for Paranaque,” said Ayala Malls President Christopher Maglanoc.

“This is a groundbreaking initiative that I would like to emulate in our other mall locations and once again, I would like to thank Mayor Olivarez and his team for collaborating with us on this innovative project,” Maglanoc shared.

The ELO Serbisyo Center is open from 10:00am to 6:00pm, Monday to Saturday.

To get more updates about the ELO Service Center, follow the official Facebook page of Ayala Malls Manila Bay at fb.com/ayalamallsmanilabay.

Clorox PH collaborates with Local Government Units

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Provides Clorox Expert Disinfecting Wipes for pediatric vaccination sites

As the country continues its fight against the COVID-19 virus, Clorox Philippines, one of the country's leading providers of cleaning and disinfecting products, collaborated anew with various local government units (LGUs) to provide Clorox Expert Disinfecting Wipes to people visiting the pediatric vaccination sites, as well as the medical practitioners on-site.

Through this partnership, Clorox Philippines aims to help the local authorities enhance public health and safety amid the global health crisis with trusted efficacy and disinfecting assurance of Clorox products.

"Even though we are now at a lower alert level, it is still vital that we continue to practice our cleaning and disinfecting habits as the threat of the coronavirus remains. Clorox Philippines has always been committed to helping improve and ensure the health and safety of our fellow Filipinos every day with our products. We hope that by providing Clorox Expert Disinfecting Wipes, we can help encourage Filipinos to make it a habit to disinfect their homes or wherever they go,” said Monique Gonzales, Marketing Manager for Southeast Asia at Clorox International.

Recently, the company provided each LGU with 1,000 Clorox Expert Disinfecting Wipes in canisters given to children, parents, and medical frontliners at pediatric vaccination locations. Among the LGUs that Clorox Philippines partnered with were Cainta, Rizal, San Juan City and Mandaluyong City.

"We would like to express our gratitude to the LGUs for letting us participate in their vaccination efforts. We look forward to more collaboration with the local authorities to help ensure Filipinos' health and safety," Gonzales concluded.

PHINLA conducts Waste Bank Forum, introduces BinBank mobile app to improve waste collection system

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The concept of cash from trash is not new to most people, especially since waste banks have been established to manage materials that can still be recycled. However, proper and effective management of these facilities might be a different story.

To help local government units (LGUs) improve their ecological solid waste management systems, the PHINLA Global Program rolled out its Cooperative Waste Bank Forum this February and March across Quezon City, Davao City, and Cagayan de Oro City.

Rey Palacio, PHINLA Waste Management Specialist, explained that operating a waste bank requires the cooperation of household members, waste collectors, material recovery facility (MRF) managers, recycling companies, and LGUs.

More importantly, Palacio discussed that a waste bank is not only a repository of materials. Waste management through waste banks can increase the income of poor people in the community, assist local governments in empowering communities to manage waste wisely and reduce waste for disposal, and help community members initiate their own income-generating project or program that can be incorporated from waste bank scheme of managing waste.

PHINLA team also introduced the BinBank mobile application, developed by World Vision to facilitate easier collection of materials that can be deposited to MRFs. Using the application, community members can request the nearest waste collector to pick up their recyclables in no time. Schedules can be arranged through the app. Deposited items and their monetary equivalent will also be recorded in the holder's account. “The BinBank Application is aimed to improve the collection and transportation of the recyclables in our communities as well as increase the volume of waste collected, thus increase in the waste banks’ profit. Members can input the data electronically and monitor it in real-time at the comfort of their homes,” said PHINLA Program Coordinator Joben Asuncion.

Waste worker explores BinBank through their personal smartphones.

Empowering waste collectors

Most of the forum participants admitted that waste collection is their only source of income and saving money has not been a priority—something that PHINLA seeks to change. More than equipping them with technical know-how, PHINLA also wants to develop the discipline of finding income opportunities in the resources available to them.

One of such opportunities is establishing a community-based savings group among waste collectors and barangay health workers. Michael Macabasag, World Vision Development Foundation Program Officer, shared how joining such group allowed him to recover from a financial crisis. "Ni singkong duling walang wala talaga kami noon," Mike recalled. He even remembered asking a papaya from a neighbor just so his family can survive before his next expected salary. One time, he borrowed Php 50 from a friend but had a hard time paying it. “Naiiyak na ako noon. Hiyang hiya ako sa sarili ko, hiyang hiya ako sa asawa ko. Wala man lang akong singkwenta pesos.”

It could have disheartened Mike, but he looked at it as a motivation to look for other sources of income. Mike then joined World Vision’s Community Managed Savings and Credit Association (CoMSCA) and has since helped organize more than 200 CoMSCA groups in his hometown in Laurel, Batangas. Now, Mike pays it forward by helping PHINLA beneficiaries do the same. "Kaya nating baguhin ang kalagayan natin," Mike shared.

Eduardo Ablazo, head barangay health worker of Barangay Bagong Silangan, Quezon City, was among those who was deeply moved by Mike’s personal story. “Nakita ko ang kahalagahan ng pag iipon. Dito ko rin narinig kung paano tulungan ang sarili kong umahon sa kahirapan para matulungan ko rin ang iba,” said Ablazo.

PHINLA is set to conduct more virtual training activities to continue empowering members of waste banks and waste collector associations and to assist the stakeholders in drafting procedures and regulations pertaining to the waste bank’s relations as well as dealings with the collectors and concerned recycling companies.

More than 70 waste collectors and members of BESWMC from Davao, Cagayan de Oro, and Quezon City participated in the event.

PHINLA stands for the Philippines, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka: the three countries implementing the Global Program to Develop Livelihood for Poverty-affected Population through a Multi-sectoral Established and Monitored Waste Management System. It is a partnership project of World Vision Development Foundation and EcoWaste Coalition.

DepEd supports preparedness efforts of Albay LGU, ensures continued delivery of educ needs in affected schools

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In its mission to ensure the safety of students and school personnel, the Department of Education (DepEd)—in close coordination with the local government unit (LGU) of Albay—has implemented preventive measures such as organizing a skeletal force and safeguarding records and equipment in schools within the permanent danger zone (PDZ) and extended danger zone (EDZ), and preparing evacuation centers ahead of actual evacuation in areas affected by the Mayon volcano disturbance.

Of the 724 schools in the province, 76 have been identified as affected. These affected schools are those within the PDZ and EDZ. Of these, 28 have already resumed classes as of September 23. To date, 676 out of 724 schools have regular classes in the province despite Alert Level 3.

DepEd has implemented interventions to foster a sense of normalcy among learners. The Department has worked together with the local government of Albay and UNICEF for the deployment of 155 tents for the 38 schools used as evacuation centers in five towns and two cities in the province. These evacuation centers are closely monitored and co-managed by DepEd school personnel.

These 38 schools used as evacuation centers are also accommodating the student enrolment of displaced schools to ensure the continued delivery of education needs. For instance, San Jose Elementary School in Malilipot, Albay has taken in Calbayog ES pupils. On September 23, some 1,200 students are expected to report, to be accounted for, while 18 tents are being set up to provide for their needs. School personnel are likewise tasked to do daily tracking of all students by grade level.

Together with the Albay provincial government, DepEd continues to work toward class resumption in affected schools in Albay, Legaspi, Tabaco, and Ligao.

DOT, DSWD, and USAID launch One-Step Project

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The convergence program, called The One-Step Project, seeks to improve the lives of the poor with more direct interventions through tourism. The One-Step Project is a step to include the poor at the start of the development process and integrate communities, including but not limited to the beneficiaries of DSWD’s Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (Pantawid), in the tourism value chain. 

The Department of Tourism (DOT) has inked a partnership with the Department of Social Work and Development (DSWD) and United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signing ceremony held last August 5, 2013.

Signatories to the One Step Project (L-R): USAID Philippines Mission Director Gloria Steele, DOT Secretary Ramon R. Jimenez, Jr. and DSWD Secretary Corazon J. Soliman.

Tourism Secretary Ramon R. Jimenez, Jr. said the project aims to alleviate poverty by improving the “reach” and “power” of our people and to be given opportunities to succeed. “The eradication of poverty begins with the restoration of trust in leadership,” the tourism chief added.

The One-Step Project taps the potential of the 13 million poor Filipinos and the 2.1 million Pantawid households in nine priority tourism clusters. It aims to identify the poor households with greater propensity for success, particularly those living in the tourism clusters that host more than 21 million domestic and foreign tourists, and enroll them in tourism enterprises either as part of a destination community or a supplier community.

Under this partnership, the DSWD, through its Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP), will help DOT translate the National Tourism Development Plan (NTDP) into a community-driven eco-tourism development plan to ensure inclusive economic growth. The DSWD SLP provides opportunities to its underprivileged participants to be self-reliant by engaging in income-generating activities.

“Tourism has been identified as a major economic driver to spur job creation, income, and revenue generation, and more importantly to spread the benefits to the countryside. This project provides institutional links to ensure effective implementation.  It is providing the poor employment and business opportunities with long-term benefits.  That brings much more stability in governance and raises the emotional quotient of our nation. Inclusiveness is a strategy, not a goal,” Secretary Jimenez said.

According to USAID Philippines Mission Director Gloria Steele, the deeper support towards inclusive growth is a major component of the bilateral agreement of the United States and Philippine governments.

DSWD Secretary Corazaon “Dinky” J. Soliman thanked the DOT and USAID for strengthening the Pantawid program, the government’s conditional cash transfer endeavor, as a vital poverty-reduction and community empowerment initiative.

Using the financial support from the USAID Advancing Philippine Competitiveness (COMPETE) Project, a national technical working group (TWG) will provide the general framework of the project, including the identification of the major activities to be conducted and funded. The One-Step Project will be implemented with support from an organizational structure composed of national and regional TWGs.

The national TWG is composed of the Champions, DOT Undersecretary Maria Victoria Jasmin and DSWD Undersecretary Parisaya Taradji; and Chairperson, DOT Assistant Secretary Rolando Canizal. TWG members include Director Honorita Bayudan, Director Georgina Ann Hernandez, and Angela Mari Ferrer from DSWD; Director Rica Bueno, Phoebe Areño, and Alex Macatuno from DOT. The REID Foundation serves as its technical secretariat, while the regional TWG is composed of the regional directors of the DSWD and DOT, in coordination with other regional offices and their respective local government units (LGUs).