A digital advocacy group called on the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to consider using contactless payment system for commuters riding trains and other transportation amid the impending shortage of stored-value cards, popularly known as Beep cards.

The DOTr earlier urged commuters to take care of their respective Beep cards amid the card shortage. The Beep card is commonly use in riding trains in Metro Manila and other mass transport system, the intention is to make it comfortable for the commuters to travel as they need not to fall in long queues every time they would ride mass transport system.

In a statement, the Digital Pinoys national campaigner Ronald Gustilo said the use of contactless payments is an immediate solution should there be shortage of Beep cards.

"We should not be dependent on these cards and we should make the most out of the technology available to us. Digital payments in transportation are now rampant globally and have been proven to be efficient. It also eliminates waste generated from the physical cards being used," Gustilo said.

Contactless payments are now commonly used in various financial transactions that include purchase of items, bank transactions and bills payment.

Gustilo explained that the move would be comfortable for Filipinos especially in Metro Manila wherein almost all residents have access to smartphones.

He explained that if the contactless payments are effective in other countries, this will certainly the same in the case of the Philippine mass transportation.

"97 Million Filipinos have smartphones. Most of the smartphone users are also using public transportation so using QR codes for payments will be helpful for commuters,” said Gustilo.

“DOTR should also not have any problem accessing the technology for it as it is being used in many countries. They can work with leading digital payments providers like Gcash and Maya to provide an immediately scalable contactless solution to the shortage," he added.

Gustilo stressed that the DOTRs warning of impending Beep shortage must come with immediate solution, saying the riding public will be the first to suffer if it happens.

"DOTR should use readily-available technology and not get stuck-up with this card shortage issue. It should not be the Filipino commuters’ problem that the supplier for the cards cannot deliver. The public is already burdened with the transport crisis, DOTR should at least resolve this one quickly and not pass the problem to the people," he said.