Robinsons Bank (RBANK) has rolled out a new digital solution that will provide ease and convenience for the thousands of Filipinos that are awaiting their financial aid from the government.
In partnership with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), RBANK successfully started the digital disbursement of the Social Amelioration Program (SAP) subsidy in Laurel, Batangas.
With RBANK’s new digital solution, beneficiaries were able to receive their SAP payouts through a cardless withdrawal process using RBANK ATMs instead of going through manual disbursement and risk exposure to the Covid virus.
“We, at Robinsons Bank, were eager to partner with DSWD for this initiative. We believe that our efforts have always had the bigger purpose of uplifting the lives of our fellow Filipinos -- in line with our advocacy of financial inclusion. With this process, we also provided them with a bank account. We know that with our digital banking solutions, we can, and we want to do our part in helping our kababayan during these hard times,” RBANK Retail Banking Segment Head Salvador "Buddy" Paps shared.
After the success of the initial distribution, RBANK is set to roll out the cardless withdrawal of the SAP payout for the second batch of beneficiaries in Laurel, Batangas, and to more places in the NCR and Albay in the coming weeks.
According to Mr.Paps, RBANK went through a lot of preparation to ensure that the service will be easy even for those unfamiliar with transacting via the ATM.
Shifting to digital disbursement
Committed to providing ease and convenience in all its services, RBANK has also trained DSWD representatives so they can readily assist the beneficiaries in completing their cardless withdrawal process. This ensured that the payout will move swiftly and avoid instances that can hold back the queue.
“Sobrang dali lang po ng pagkuha ng subsidy kumpara sa ibang transaction. Kinailangan lang mag-reply sa text at sundin ang instructions. Wala akong naging problema, sobrang bilis ng processing. Maraming salamat po sa Robinsons Bank kasi mas pinadali niyo ang pagkuha ng SAP subsidy,” one of the beneficiaries expressed (identity withheld for safety).
Furthermore, another beneficiary was also very happy with the outcome of the distribution, “Sobrang dali lang po. Wala pang isang minuto nakapagwithdraw na ako. Walang hassle.”
The shift to a digitalized disbursement through RBank's E-Ayuda aims to speed up the distribution process to the beneficiaries. With E-Ayuda, RBank was able to provide the beneficiaries with a bank account that could store the government's cash assistance, making the withdrawal process easier. They can also choose to upgrade their accounts to a Simple Savings account, to widen the banking features that they can enjoy.
Securing a safe payout
As hundreds of beneficiaries were expected to flock the Municipal Hall of Laurel, DSWD and the LGU assisted in managing the crowd for a smooth flow from registration to payout . The presence of the local police helped in maintaining security and order in the premises. The SAP beneficiaries waited comfortably in the municipal gym while they underwent initial screening to ensure a faster process with their withdrawal.
Additionally, in keeping with health and safety protocols, beneficiaries were ushered to the pay-out location in batches.
Through digital innovation and RBANK's coordination with the LGU and DSWD, the SAP payout in Laurel, Batangas proved to be a success.
RBank, with the help of its wholly-owned subsidiary, Legazpi Savings Bank (LSB) has also begun the distribution of the SAP payout in different municipalities in Albay. According to LSB President Mykel D. Abad, being tapped as a partner of DSWD is a “great opportunity as LSB has always aspired to be of help to those in need.”