GCash to disburse financial assistance to 500,000 Makati residents

The local government unit of Makati City partners with GCash for the disbursement of the expanded Makatizen Economic Relief Program to provide relief to residents who are affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Renamed as the MAKA-tulong 5K for 500K+ Makatizens,  the PHP 2.7 billion worth of cash aid for the 500,000 residents of the city will be distributed through the respective GCash accounts of the qualified beneficiaries. Those without GCash accounts will be assisted by the local government to set up one. This lessens physical contact among people and reduces the health risk among senior citizens, pregnant women, children, and PWDs.

To qualify for the financial assistance program, one must be at least 18 years old and a resident of Makati City or any of the relocation sites managed by the city government of Makati in San Jose del Monte City, Bulacan, and Calauan, Laguna. One must also be registered either as a Makatizen cardholder, as a yellow cardholder under the Makati Health Program, or as a voter in Makati City. Each beneficiary will get PHP 5,000.

Previous beneficiaries of the Social Amelioration Program (SAP), including senior citizens, persons with disabilities, informal workers, and solo parents, are still qualified to receive the PHP 5,000-financial assistance.

Residents may fill out an application form through the Makatizen app (available in iOS and Android) or the Makatizen website. They may also submit their application forms in their respective barangays or through Makati Action Center (MAC) personnel. Each application form must be supplemented with a valid government-issued ID.

The assistance may be withdrawn from GCash cash-in and cash-out agents or through ATMs using their Makatizen Cards. Beneficiaries may also use the financial assistance credited on their GCash account for online and offline transactions, bills payment, and fund transfers.