Members of the Aeta community, who are active beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) from the upland and remote barangays of Zambales province, stepped into the digital age as they underwent financial literacy sessions facilitated by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

As part of its broader digital and financial inclusion efforts, the DSWD has concluded its regional rollout of the e-Panalo ang Kinabukasan initiative under 4Ps from 15 to 17 July in Zambales province, covering different areas from the municipalities of Iba, Botolan, and San Marcelino.

During literacy sessions, representatives from Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) Foundation and G-Xchange, Inc., taught the beneficiaries how to responsibly use their cash grants, avoid online scams, use mobile banking, and navigate digital platforms such as GCash for safer and more efficient transactions.

The culmination of the regional rollout, held on July 17 at the Botolan People’s Park, featured the ceremonial distribution of smartphones from Globe Telecom to some 160 4Ps beneficiaries, composed mostly of Indigenous Peoples (IPs) and solo parents, from geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDAs) in the province.

Through the mobile phone drive of Ayala Foundation, mobile phones donated by Globe Telecom were given to 4Ps beneficiaries who voluntarily shifted from cash card disbursements to digital wallets as their preferred mode of receiving program grants.

For the first time in her life, Neneng Devillena, among the 92 Aeta members who underwent digital financial literacy sessions and opted to migrate to GCash, held a cellphone of her own.

“Ang saya, saya ko po dahil may cellphone na akong magagamit, first time ko po ito. Lahat po ng itunuro [sa digital financial literacy session] ay gagamitin at gagawin ko po,” Neneng shared tearfully, as she carefully held the device distributed by Globe Telecom.

For beneficiaries like Neneng, the impact is life-changing as they are empowered with knowledge on how to safely manage their cash grants through mobile wallets like GCash.

“Nagpapasalamat po ako sa Gcash [at Globe], dahil agad na naming mawi-withdraw ang aming payout. [Dati] kasi, kelangan pa namin tumawag sa baba kung may payout na bago kami bumaba. Pero kung sa Gcash, maglalakad lang kami sa may signal [na area] makikita na namin sa Gcash account namin na pumasok na ang payout namin sa Gcash,” Neneng expressed.

Aside from convenience, she says the training taught her something just as valuable, the importance of saving.

“Ang natutunan ko po sa session namin ay ang pag-iipon. Dahil kami mahirap talaga, ang mga anak ko pumapasok ng hindi naka-sapatos, tsinelas lang ang gamit. Kaya ang ipon ko ay gagamitin para sa mga pangangailangan ng mga bata [sa ekuwela] tulad ng papel,” Neneng shared.

According to Neneng, she used to save coins in a “buho,” a bamboo coin bank used in their community. But now, she said proudly, she will use GCash like a digital wallet.

“Noon po ang gamit ko sa pag-iipon ay buho [bilang alkansya], ngayon gagamitin ko na ang Gcash sa pag-iipon dahil ito ay para ng isang wallet na rin,” Neneng added.

The mobile phones donated by Globe Telecom are part of a shared effort to bridge the digital divide, especially in underserved, rural, and indigenous communities.

Under the e-Panalo ang Kinabukasan initiative, the program aims to improve financial access and digital literacy among 4Ps beneficiaries while equipping them with basic digital tools, such as mobile phones, to navigate modern platforms.

By providing tools and training, the e-Panalo ang Kinabukasan initiative, spearheaded by the DSWD with the support of the private sector, ensures that every Filipino, including the Indigenous Peoples, is aligned with the nation’s goal toward the digital age, giving them dignity and accessibility to modern technology. #