For many Filipinos living below the poverty level in Zamboanga, life is a daily grind to make ends-meet amidst the prevailing socio-political uncertainties. When the government through the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) implemented the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) or the poverty alleviation program, the P1,400 (around 33 US dollars) monthly allowance per family provided much needed relief for them.

Unfortunately, since most of the beneficiaries live in remote areas where basic services are scarce, trying to obtain the funds that the government allotted for them is a huge undertaking.

For Vilma Jun, a 28 year old Badjao housewife, from the town of Labason, the government allowance was a welcome respite for her family. According to Vilma, having to travel two hours to Sindangan in order to get the money from the nearest ATM proved a daunting and expensive task. With the deployment of an ENCASH ATM in the Rural Bank of Labason, Vilma gave a simple and heartfelt comment in the dialect.

“Ahap na maitu Labason kulang gasto kami. Habal na magsakay Sindangan.” [“Now that it (the ATM) is already here in Labason, I will not be hiring a motorcycle to go to Sindangan.”]

Obtaining the 4Ps

Currently there are 62,000 identified 4Ps beneficiaries from 26 towns in Zamboanga del Sur who are not served by government and commercial banks. As a general rule, Mindanao is primarily served by cooperatives, with commercial and rural banks located in key urban centers. This means that people like Vilma would be forced to travel to be able to get the allowance from government banks like the LandBank of the Philippines. Thus, money is not maximized for the family’s needs because of the travel expense.

Jenny Coronel, a 31 year old Kalibugan who teaches at Gacsod Daycare Center confirmed, “Before the ENCASH ATM was installed in Labason, we had to spend not just for travel, but also for food because the trip was long.”

ENCASH Presence in Zamboanga

Electronic Network Cash Tellers, Inc.’s (ENCASH) mission is to deploy ATMs in the rural areas to ensure financial inclusion for those Filipinos who remain underserved by commercial and government banks. The company takes pride in partnering with cooperatives and rural banks found in out-of-the-way areas where it can provide service to rural-based communities. ENCASH does not discriminate when it comes to its services, finding fulfillment in ensuring that Filipinos of different religious and political persuasions are given equal opportunity to have easy access to their financial resources.

ENCASH is present in 10 of the 26 towns of Zamboanga identified as 4Ps sites. Recently, it successfully deployed an ATM in Zamboanga Sibugay through its partnership with Lapuyan Multi-purpose Cooperative and in Zamboanga del Norte through the auspices of the Rural Bank of Labason.

ENCASH ATMs are also available in First Valley Bank branches in Dumingag, Dumalinao, Tukuran, Margosatubig, Aurora, and Molave.

Since the 4Ps beneficiaries are mostly located in remote rural areas, they now look to the cooperatives for help to enable them to obtain their money. However, not all cooperatives have ENCASH ATMs like Lapuyan Multi-purpose Cooperative who is able to serve the needs of the 4Ps recipients in Tungawan, Lapuyan, Olutangga, and its neighboring municipalities.

The challenges of serving

While ENCASH’s coop partner, Lapuyan Multi-purpose Cooperative, is enthusiastic about the service it brings the community¸ it is also hindered by the difficulty to source ATM fit notes. Without the ATM fit notes, cash replenishment cannot take place. The ATM then cannot go online to provide money to those who wish to withdraw.

Providing the necessary security to deliver cash in the areas they operate is also another concern. Bank armored cars have historically been the target of lawless elements.

“We would like to continue serving the banking needs of our rural communities, particularly the 4Ps beneficiaries, but we need the help of LandBank to provide cash for key centers such as Ipil and Pagadian; so that ENCASH and its coop partners can deliver the cash to the ATMs,” ENCASH President Eric Severino said in an interview.

In the short-term, ENCASH anticipates that DSWD will endorse its initiative. If this happens, the company can continue to deploy ATMs in the areas where 4Ps beneficiaries reside within Zamboanga. Eventually, ENCASH is eager to replicate this project all over the Philippines to support the requirements of the underbanked Filipinos, especially those who depend on the 4Ps.

ENCASH takes heart from the comment of 4Ps beneficiary Mariana Esmael, a 41 year old housewife from Labason. “Siyempre, dili naka moadto pa sa Ipil og mogasto dako para lang mo withdraw sa akong cash card.” (“Of course, one need not go to Ipil and spend much to withdraw from the cash card.”).