CASHLESS AID SYSTEM: Recipients show the customized GCash automated teller machine cards for fund assistance from the Bangsamoro government, distributed to them during a symbolic event on Thursday, July 30, 2026. (John Unson Photo)
COTABATO CITY, Philippines (AP) โ The Bangsamoro government has partnered with GCash to digitize the distribution of financial assistance, launching the first cashless aid system in Mindanao aimed at speeding up the release of government assistance to beneficiaries across the autonomous region.
The Financial Assistance System Transformation (FAST) program, launched Thursday in Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao del Norte, will enable the Ministry of Social Services and Development in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (MSSD-BARMM) to distribute cash assistance electronically through GCash.
The partnership marks a major step in modernizing the delivery of government aid in the Bangsamoro region. By digitizing cash assistance through the FAST program, the initiative aims to speed up payouts, reduce bureaucratic delays, improve transparency, and expand financial inclusion for beneficiaries across BARMM’s five provinces and three cities, making it the first digital cash assistance system of its kind in Mindanao.
The program will serve beneficiaries in Maguindanao del Norte, Maguindanao del Sur, Lanao del Sur, Basilan and Tawi-Tawi, as well as the cities of Cotabato, Marawi and Lamitan.
The launch was led by MSSD-BARMM Director-General Mohammad Muktadir Ahmad Estrella, Bangsamoro Cabinet Secretary Mohd Asnin Pendatun, GCash General Manager for Business Paul Vincent Albano and GCash Vice President and Public Sector Head Cleo Celeste Santos. Also attending were MSSD-BARMM Deputy Minister Ainee Tan Lim, Planning and Development Division Acting Chief Moctar Abubakar, representatives from various sectors, and members of the media.
Under the program, beneficiaries will receive customized cards that will serve as both identification cards and cashless payment cards. Recipients can also use the cards to withdraw funds from automated teller machines of participating banks.
Estrella said the system would eliminate lengthy bureaucratic procedures in releasing government assistance. “This will cut lengthy bureaucratic procedures in facilitating the release of funds for beneficiaries,” Estrella said.
Santos described the initiative as the first digital financial assistance program of its kind in Mindanao.
Bangsamoro Social Services and Development Minister Raissa Jajurie said the FAST program was jointly developed by planners and researchers from the ministry and GCash to improve the efficiency of social welfare services.
Jajurie said the partnership would make the transfer of government assistance to beneficiaries faster, easier, and more accessible while supporting the Bangsamoro government’s broader push toward digital governance and financial inclusion.
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