In an effort to boost digital transformation of the agriculture and fishery sector, GCash, the country’s leading mobile wallet app, has partnered with the Department of Agriculture (DA) to give farmers and fisherfolk a more convenient digital payment platform for safer and more efficient payment transactions.
The DA and GCash signed a contract for cashless payment collections for such services as sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) permits and laboratory fees. The DA will also be added to the GCash app’s current network of more than 600 billers, which includes the Bureau of Internal Revenue, National Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Foreign Affairs, Social Security System, Pag-IBIG, Philippine Statistics Authority and various local government offices, among other billers such as utilities, schools, and more.
Leading the signing of the partnership agreement was DA Secretary William Dar, who was joined by GCash Vice President for Enterprise and Public Sector Jose Luis Reyes, together with the DA Undersecretary for Administration and Finance and Chairperson of Ease of Doing Business Taskforce Roldan G. Gorgonio, IoT Valley Corporation chairman and president Rolando Amaleo Lirio III, Philippine Association of Agriculturists, Inc. (PAA) chairman Roberto Rañola, and BAYAD senior vice president and chief operating officer Francispito Quevedo.
During the event, the DA and its partners also launched the “BayAni Kita” app, which features an e-wallet system connected to other digital payments facilities or platforms, a digital ID for farmers and fishermen, and a chat facility directly connected to the DA Office of the Secretary to address stakeholders’ concerns and complaints.
Dar thanked the DA’s partners, acknowledging the role of digital payment platforms, like GCash in transforming the economy and in accelerating the progress in agriculture. “Digital technology and its noble approaches can help accelerate the transformation of the Philippine agriculture. It is important that we empower our agri-fishery sector and provide them with the technical, marketing and financial support they need together with our partner companies,” Dar said.
“At GCash, we stay relevant by supporting the government with financial technology solutions and by continuing to provide products and services to help all Filipinos, especially those who have been badly affected by the pandemic. With this partnership with the Department of Agriculture, we strive to help local farmers and fisherfolk through safe and convenient digital payments,” said GCash President and CEO Martha Sazon.
The leading mobile wallet company is also in discussion with DA on being one of the payment partners in BayAni Kita App through its cashless payment feature. The app also has the “Bantay ASF” program as part of the government agency’s goals in digitalization of the agriculture sector especially in the new normal. The app is also open to non-farmers.
Recently, GCash also reached over 2.5 million merchants and over 40 million registered users, equivalent to 40 percent of the Filipino population having a GCash account.
With this partnership with the DA, GCash is closer to its “Finance for All” vision as it continues to look for ways to provide accessible and seamless products and services for Filipinos.
For more information, visit www.gcash.com.
