SB Safety Net Foundation, a non-government organization established to assist communities at times of calamities and emergencies, partnered with PayMaya Philippines, the digital financial services unit of PLDT and Smart Communications, to provide members with a digital payments solutions for its disaster preparedness project for local government units (LGUs).
(From left): Nereio Francia, Relationship Manager, SB Safety Net Foundation; Tisha Quinitio, Enterprise Manager for PayMaya Philippines; Jose Dante Mara, Founding Chairman of SB Safety Net Foundation; Lourdes Boongaling, Board of Trustee of SB Safety Net Foundation
Through the collaboration, SB Safety Net Project members will be given PayMaya cards linked to their mobile app that they can use to facilitate peer-to-peer mobile money transfer in the wake of a calamity or a disaster preparedness activity. LGUs can also use these accounts to forward finances to other agencies to attend to the needs of a calamity-stricken community. Members and volunteers will also get their allowance disbursement through their PayMaya cards.
Community members are also entitled to a death and accident insurance worth P50,000 coverage, and a special Sun-Smart plan that comes with a preferred tablet or smartphone that can be used for coordination and collaboration for related community trainings and activities.
“Right now, a wide array of campaigns is already in place so we can better respond to calamities and save lives. However, there is a need to complement these existing projects that is why we launched SB Safety Net Project in collaboration with the LGUs and harness the power of digital solutions like PayMaya to implement a more modern and sustainable calamity readiness program,” said Jose Dante Mara, founding chairman of SB Safety Net Foundation.
“Digital payment solutions absolutely play a vital role in advancing disaster readiness programs,” said Benjie S. Fernandez, co-CEO at PayMaya Philippines. “In the wake of a calamity, it is hard for volunteers or family members to send much-needed funds right away. With PayMaya, users can just simply use their app for peer-to-peer transactions and use their cards on thousands of Visa-accepting merchants including groceries and drug stores. We are glad that Sagip Buhay selected PayMaya as a partner in its new chapter of helping more lives in our communities.”
PayMaya is a mobile app that allows users to pay and shop online. Users just need to download the app from Google Play or Apple App Store and register to get a PayMaya virtual Visa account that can immediately be utilized for digital transactions. It also comes with a physical Visa card that consumers can present at any Visa-accepting store. As it comes with a beep wallet, PayMaya allows users to ride the MRT and LRT lines for their daily commute.
Anyone can load their PayMaya card through BDO Online Banking or at any of the over 15,000 PayMaya reloading stations nationwide that include SM Malls Business Centers, Robinsons Malls Business Centers, Bayad Centers, 7-Eleven stores with Cliqq kiosks, TouchPay Kiosks, and Smart Padala Centers.
The SB Safety Net Project is an integrated management network system that LGUs can utilize for tracking, reporting and monitoring calamities. It has a ticketing system where members and volunteers can file incidents with photos and videos as they happen, and indicate their level of urgency. It also shows a map exactly pinpointing the location of the calamity, the place of the survivors, and coverage of task completion including ration and evacuation, among others.
The tool provides a Post Disaster Needs Analysis (PDNA) that LGUs can use to seek further assistance from agencies, and leverage for rehabilitation plans. The report can be routed to any preferred recipient, such as media, Office of the President, or civic groups via email or social media.
The SB Safety Net Foundation offers trainings to civic group members, teachers, barangay health officers and other community leaders. Once requirements are completed, they will be called Certified Safety Marshalls.
For more information, visit www.sbsafetynet.com and www.paymaya.com.
