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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider Metro Manila devider Makati City receives Digital Excellence Award

Makati City receives Digital Excellence Award

Published Dec 19, 2023 01:30 am

The Makati City local government was recognized for introducing technical innovations and services to help improve the lives of Makatizens that could be replicated in other cities in the country.

Makati City Mayor Abby Binay said on Monday, Dec. 18, that the city received the Pioneer in Digital Financial Adoption Award during Globe's Digital Excellence Awards held on Dec. 6 at the Manila Peninsula.

"Ang parangal na ito ay ibinibigay sa mga institusyong nakipag-partner sa Globe ng mahigit limang taon (This recognition is being given to institutions that partnered with Globe for more than five years)," Binay said.

The award was received by Makati Vice Mayor Monique Lagdameo and Binay's husband - Makati City 2nd District Rep. Luis Campos.

From Makatizen Card, pandemic, and beyond

In 2017, the city government and Globe, under its subsidiary G-Xchange, Inc. (GXI) and iBayad Online Ventures Inc., partnered to create a multipurpose ID called the Makatizen Card which was initially made to provide residents with a multipurpose ID that functions as a valid government ID and ATM card.

At the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, Globe's GCash, together with Makati City, spearheaded cashless distribution and efficiency by making the city the first local government unit (LGU) in the Philippines to implement the cashless distribution of financial assistance through a mobile wallet.

Instead of manually disbursing the financial aid through city hall employees or through physical disbursement facilities, the LGU used the GCash platform to efficiently and safely provide aid to its constituents. This reduced the risk of transmission of the disease, as it limits physical contact among people.

The city, through GCash, released P364 million to over 72,000 residents in just one day since its implementation. Around P2.7 billion in economic aid was also distributed to more than 500,000 Makati City residents since then.

Aside from using GCash in the disbursement of Covid-19 aid to its residents, the city government also uses the service in the distribution of cash incentives and allowances to its senior citizens.

"The Makatizen Economic Relief Program, better known as MAKAtulong 5K, was a great success. With the help of GCash, we were able to distribute financial assistance and emergency aid safely and efficiently to residents. There was no confusion, no long queues, and no administrative hassle. The process was fast, reliable, and efficient," Binay said.

In 2021, the city dominated the GCash Digital Excellence Awards and won four awards, such as Excellence in Innovation and Leadership, Excellence in Public Aid Distribution, Excellence in Digital Financial Inclusion, and Excellence in Digital Advancement for the Youth (together with the University of Makati).

This year, Makati City, in partnership with Globe and KonsultaMD, launched its 24/7 free online consults program for city hall employees which allows them to receive medical help and services online and in the comfort of their own homes.

Binay said a total of 10,785 city hall employees will benefit from the service as she bared her plan to also extend the telehealth service to the 144,943 Yellow Card holders in the city which include senior citizens, differently-abled persons, bedridden patients, and those who are unable to visit healthcare facilities due to health and other concerns.

The partnership, which is the first KonsultaMD project for a local government unit (LGU) in Metro Manila, aims to provide convenient and accessible services to city hall employees to address physical and mental health concerns even after office and clinic hours.

The mayor explained that Yellow Card city hall employees only need to download the KonsultaMD mobile application, register, and schedule a consultation with a licensed doctor or mental health counselor.

Aside from online consultations, KonsultaMD also offers e-prescriptions, laboratory requests, online medical certificates, and mental health support. These e-prescriptions can then be presented to Planet Drugstore so that employees can avail themselves of free medicines.

 

 

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