A TOTAL of 1,500 registrants from Barangay Pio del Pilar in Makati City were issued their Makatizen cards following initial rollouts in other barangays in the Second District for the past two months.
“This ceremonial launch for District 1 signifies our strong unity as a community that has steadily propelled us closer to our shared vision of a Digital Makati,” Mayor Abigail Binay said during the event over the weekend. The residents were able to immediately try the cards in purchasing goods from partner merchants.
The mayor added the event symbolized the growing community effort driving the momentum of the city’s digital transformation.
Since she took office, Binay has been consistent with her resolve to lead Makati toward becoming a full-fledged Digital City, whose residents and stakeholders are able to experience the optimum benefits of modern technology. Aside from considering the convenience of residents, the mayor also wanted cardholders to get firsthand technical assistance from the Makatizen Card Team. The team, composed of city personnel from the Urban Development Department and representatives from private-sector partners such as G-Xchange Inc., Globe Telecom and iBayad Online Ventures Inc., personally briefed them on the benefits and use of the Makatizen card.
Meanwhile, after an onsite validation by the Makatizen Card Team, cardholders whose GCash mobile wallet accounts were activated were able to test in real time the efficacy of the cards through iBayad Fishball, iBayad Buko and GCash loading stations set up at the venue.
Other District 1 barangays whose registrants passed the prescreening and successfully registered for the program are also scheduled for card distribution. Among these are Olympia, Poblacion, Santa Cruz and Valenzuela on May 19; Bangkal, Palanan, San Isidro and San Antonio on May 26; and Carmona, Kasilawan, La Paz, Singkamas and Tejeros on June 2.
The Makatizen card functions as a valid government-issued ID card and can reduce documentary requirements for city-provided services and benefits, as some city offices will be equipped with iBayad machine readers that can verify the identity of the residents and Makati City employees in a single tap. Through the embedded near field communication technology, the card will allow holders to conveniently access the city’s public services and transact with the city government.
Also, since the card is linked to their GCash mobile wallet account, residents can receive cash allowances, stipends and other cash benefits from the city. Meanwhile, city government employees can receive their salaries and other financial benefits through it. Utilizing the GCash-enabled feature of the Makatizen card, holders can pay fees and taxes, send remittances, and settle bills and financial transactions through the card. Moreover, through other features of GCash, such as Scan to Pay and the GCash App, cardholders can purchase products and services with partner merchants displaying “Makatizen Card Accepted Here!” signage.