Maya is supporting the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in its UPLIFT Assistance program, helping beneficiaries transition to digital payouts while giving them access to formal financial services.
The fintech recently provided on-ground assistance in Navotas City and Quezon City, helping beneficiaries with account setup and verification ahead of succeeding digital payouts. The initiative forms part of a broader government push to use digital channels for faster and more accessible social assistance.
Maya assists UPLIFT beneficiaries with digital payouts
Under UPLIFT, DSWD is providing financial assistance to around 2.5 million poor, near-poor, and low-income Filipino households. The program is also expanding the use of digital channels for distributing financial support.
Maya teams assisted beneficiaries during selected on-ground activities, particularly with setting up and verifying accounts that can be used to receive succeeding digital payouts.
For beneficiaries who select Maya as their digital channel, the account can also be used for everyday transactions beyond receiving government assistance.
From receiving aid to accessing digital banking
The initiative highlights how digital payouts can potentially serve as an entry point to the formal financial system.
Beneficiaries who meet applicable requirements can use Maya’s ecosystem for services such as payments, savings, and credit through Maya Bank. This gives recipients the option to use their digital accounts for managing money after receiving their government assistance.
“For us, the opportunity goes beyond digitizing the payout,” said Angelo Madrid, President of Maya Bank. “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.”
The approach shifts the focus from simply delivering financial assistance to giving beneficiaries tools they can continue using for their everyday financial needs.
Digital finance supports financial inclusion
The rollout also aligns with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP)’s financial inclusion agenda, which promotes broader and more meaningful participation in the formal financial system.
The BSP’s National Strategy for Financial Inclusion specifically encourages digital solutions for government cash transfers and social safety-net programs. Digital accounts can provide beneficiaries with a way to move from receiving individual transactions toward regular use of formal financial services.
For programs serving millions of households, digital delivery can also reduce some of the logistical barriers associated with distributing assistance through traditional channels.
Maya expands role in government digital initiatives
Maya’s participation in UPLIFT adds to the fintech’s involvement in efforts to expand digital financial access in the Philippines.
By supporting beneficiaries during the account setup and verification process, the company is helping address a key part of digital adoption: ensuring recipients can actually access and use the accounts intended to receive assistance.
As DSWD expands digital payouts under UPLIFT, initiatives like this could help connect social protection programs with longer-term financial inclusion, allowing government assistance to become a potential starting point for savings, payments, and other formal financial services.
