BY GIOVANNI A. FLAVIANO
CALAPAN, Oriental Mindoro – Typhoons bring not only physical destruction but also financial hardships as families in Oriental Mindoro are forced to evacuate and face unexpected expenses. In the aftermath, access to funds becomes essential for securing shelter, food, and medical assistance.
On August 9, 2023, a report from the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (RDDRMC), a total of 26 areas in the region experienced flooding, with majority of the tally coming from Occidental Mindoro with 16 flooded areas; the rest are from the provinces of Palawan and Oriental Mindoro. Upon the initial assessment of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), a total of 751 families or 3,133 individuals were affected by the flooding experienced in the region.
AYUDA
As typhoons become more frequent and intense due to climate change, leveraging digital solutions for disaster response has never been more crucial.
Although “ayuda,” or government assistance distributed through barangay officials — has been the norm during the pandemic — it has encountered issues such as “politicking” and even corruption because of the lack of transparency.
Ayuda typically involves the distribution of cash, food, and other essential supplies. While these efforts are vital, they often face logistical challenges. In the aftermath of a typhoon, roads are often impassable, communication lines are down, and the sheer scale of devastation can overwhelm even the most prepared government agencies.
GCASH TO THE RESCUE
With rising electronic platforms, like GCash, it has become the necessary and innovative approach to providing aid to affected communities.
Gcash’s money sending feature has proven to be a game-changer in such situations. With just a few taps on their smartphones, users can send and receive money instantly, bridging the gap between relief organizations and those in need.
HOW WE DID IT: EXPERIMENTING
ON DIGITAL SOLUTIONS
Acknowledging GCash as a digital solution, The Southerner embarked on a project dubbed “Digital Bayanihan” led by its Circulation Editor Darwin dela Cruz as an alternative experiment to the traditional ayuda.
During the chaotic aftermath of the typhoon, The Southerner appealed for GCash solicitations with its media partners particularly the PR outfits as a fund raising for distressed residents who were knocking on The Southerner’s Facebook page. Luckily, the digital bayanihan took off raising more than P7,000.00.
A stringent authentication process followed where Darwin dela Cruz combed the intended beneficiaries’ FB pages and even requesting them a tour of their household, family members, and even the extent of damage via video call.
DIGITALLY RECORDED
Lacking of barangay documents to validate the beneficiaries’ identities, The Southerner’s stringent authentication process safeguards the funds from being misallocated or sipohoned off by scam artists. It follows that government resources would be used efficiently and equitably had disaster relief was channelled via GCash.
GOVERNMENT PARTNERSHIPS
As typhoons and other natural disasters continue to pose significant challenges to the Philippines owing to climate change, GCash could transform the way the government provides assistance.
Although The Southerner encountered difficulties reaching out to affected residents, it realized that the “digital divide” is still real. Not everyone in the Philippines has access to a smartphone or reliable internet connectivity, particularly in remote areas.
But the experiment by The Southerner on the effectiveness of a GCash-based relief program despite the limitations, these could be mitigated if the government could consider partnerships with telecommunications companies to ensure broader access to mobile devices and internet services in disaster-prone areas. Additionally, there could be educational campaigns to teach people how to use GCash.
