Makati City Mayor Abby Binay led the ceremonial scanning of the city's Makatizen virtual card, its latest technological feat, on Thursday, June 1. During the relaunch of the the free movie program for the over 82,000 senior citizens in Makati held at Glorietta 4, Binay, together with other city government officials, spearheaded the scanning of the virtual card which is the digital version of the Makatizen Card. The Makatizen Virtual Card enables residents to access their Makatizen Card online to make transactions easier and more convenient. The virtual card also serves as an added layer of protection during the Covid-19 pandemic as it eliminates the need for physical cards, which can be a potential source of transmission. Binay said senior citizens who are active BLU Card members and Makatizen Card holders only need to download their Makatizen Virtual Card at [https://mymakatizencard.ph/virtualcard](https://mymakatizencard.ph/virtualcard) and have their Makatizen Virtual Card QR codes scanned in their transactions with the local government and other social services such as the free movie program. Binay had earlier announced the city's plan to launch the Makatizen Virtual Card. She explained that by the introduction of the digital copies of the Makatizen Card which can be accessed through smartphones or any internet-enabled device, Makatizens will experience easier and faster access to the city government's programs and services. Aside from accessing the local government unit's (LGU's) services, the Makatizen Card's GCash feature has helped improve access to financial services especially at the height of the pandemic in 2020. In May 2020, GCash partnered with Makati City in creating contactless solutions to efficiently disburse P2.7 billion in economic aid to its more than 500,000 residents, making it the the first city in the country to implement the cashless distribution of financial assistance through a mobile wallet. The partnership provided a digital disbursement facility for the expanded Makatizen Economic Relief Program which provided relief to city residents affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. 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. Through the said feature, the city released P364 million to over 72,000 residents in just one day since its implementation. "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.