DSWD UPLIFT Digital Payouts Get Maya Support for 2.5 Million Filipino Households

Through its support for DSWD's UPLIFT Assistance, Maya is helping beneficiaries in Navotas City and Quezon City prepare for digital payouts while opening pathways to savings and other formal financial services.

• Digital Transition: Maya is supporting the Department of Social Welfare and Development's UPLIFT Assistance by helping beneficiaries set up and verify their accounts, making it easier for participating households to transition from traditional assistance distribution to convenient digital payouts.
• Wider Access: Beneficiaries who choose Maya as their digital channel can use their accounts for everyday payments and, subject to applicable requirements, gain access to digital banking services such as savings and credit through Maya Bank, potentially turning a government payout account into a gateway to broader financial participation.
• Financial Inclusion: With UPLIFT providing financial assistance to around 2.5 million poor, near-poor, and low-income Filipino households, the initiative also supports the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas' push to expand financial inclusion beyond simply owning transaction accounts toward deeper use of financial services and improved financial health.

Government financial assistance can do more than address an immediate need. With the right digital infrastructure around it, a payout can also introduce Filipino households to tools that may help them save, make payments, and manage their finances over the longer term. Maya is supporting this direction through its participation in the Department of Social Welfare and Development's UPLIFT Assistance.

Maya is assisting DSWD UPLIFT beneficiaries as the program expands the use of digital payouts. Its teams recently joined selected on-ground activities in Navotas City and Quezon City, where they provided beneficiaries with assistance for account setup and verification ahead of succeeding digital payouts.

Supporting 2.5 Million Filipino Households

Under UPLIFT, DSWD is providing financial assistance to around 2.5 million poor, near-poor, and low-income Filipino households. Alongside the financial support itself, the program is expanding the use of digital channels with the goal of making the delivery of assistance more convenient, efficient, and accessible to beneficiaries.

For families receiving government assistance, moving payouts to digital channels can offer a more direct way to receive and manage funds. Maya's on-ground participation helps beneficiaries navigate the initial steps involved, particularly account setup and verification, so they can be prepared for succeeding payouts through the digital channel.

The initiative also illustrates how digitalization in government services can potentially create benefits that extend beyond the transaction itself. Once beneficiaries have access to a digital financial account, they can have an opportunity to explore other formal financial services available to them.

Beyond Digital Payouts

For Maya, this broader opportunity is an important part of supporting UPLIFT.

Angelo Madrid, President of Maya Bank, said, “For us, the opportunity goes beyond digitizing the payout. When people have access to a digital financial account, they can also start using other services that can help them save, make payments and manage their money better. That is an important part of building financial health over time.”

Beneficiaries who choose Maya as their digital channel can use their account for everyday payments. Subject to applicable requirements, they may also access digital banking services such as savings and credit through Maya Bank.

This means the account used to receive government assistance can potentially become an entry point into the formal financial system. Instead of functioning solely as a channel for receiving a payout, it can give beneficiaries access to additional financial tools while keeping them in control of how they use and manage their money.

That distinction is particularly relevant to financial inclusion. Access to a digital account is an important first step, but meaningful inclusion can also involve having practical ways to save, pay, borrow, and manage money through formal financial services.

Supporting Financial Inclusion

Maya's participation in the program supports the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas' financial inclusion agenda, which seeks to move beyond access to transaction accounts and encourage deeper use of financial services as well as improved financial health.

The BSP's National Strategy for Financial Inclusion specifically encourages the use of digital solutions for government cash-transfer and social safety-net programs. In this context, initiatives such as UPLIFT can serve two connected purposes: making government assistance more accessible while giving beneficiaries greater exposure to digital financial services.

For millions of Filipino households, that transition can make digital finance more tangible and relevant to everyday life. Receiving assistance digitally introduces beneficiaries to an account they can potentially continue using for other financial needs instead of limiting its purpose to a single payout.

Digital Finance With Wider Reach

The on-ground activities in Navotas City and Quezon City show that expanding digital finance is not only about providing technology. Beneficiaries also need support as they set up accounts, complete verification, and become familiar with the digital channels being introduced to them.

By assisting DSWD UPLIFT beneficiaries through this process, Maya is supporting the government's effort to make essential financial assistance more convenient and accessible while creating additional opportunities for Filipinos to participate in the formal financial system.

As government programs increasingly make use of digital channels, the potential impact can extend beyond faster or more efficient payouts. For beneficiaries who choose to use these services, a digital account can become a starting point for accessing savings, payments, credit, and other tools that can contribute to better financial management over time.

Maya continues to support government initiatives where digital finance can help make essential services more accessible while giving more Filipinos opportunities to take part in the country's expanding formal financial ecosystem.