GCash has partnered with the Ministry of Human Settlements and Development (MHSD) in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) to introduce digital payments in the region.

The joint initiative aims to enable cashless payment collection for the ministry’s housing and settlement services. It is also hoped to be able to create a reliable channel for disbursing financial aid.

The MHSD is pursuing digitalisation to move away from manual, cash-based processes, aiming to make transactions more efficient and accessible, particularly for residents in remote areas.

The ministry will also use GCash’s Financial Disbursement Service to send shelter assistance to households affected by calamities. Atty. Hamid Aminoddin Barra, Minister at MHSD-BARMM, believes that the partnership is an important step towards making financial services accessible for the people in Bansamoro.

For GCash, the collaboration supports its strategic focus on “Islamic inclusion”. Ren-Ren Reyes, President and CEO of GCash operator G-Xchange, Inc., stated that the company is working towards Shari’ah-compliant finance.

“Our goal is to ensure that Muslim Filipinos can participate confidently in the digital economy, honoring their values while gaining the benefits of modern finance,” Reyes said.

The partners created this public-private partnership to help bridge the digital divide and strengthen government services in underserved areas.

Both parties noted that the collaboration signals a commitment to building an inclusive region where financial access is respectful of cultural and religious values.

Featured image by EyeEm on Freepik.