Amid ongoing relief operations in response to the COVID-19 crisis, Congresswoman Rida Robes of the lone district of San Jose del Monte (SJDM) City, Bulacan touched base with her constituents in a 5-minute talk with members of the media on April 2. The congresswoman had just finished doing self-quarantine — something she chose to do after she was exposed to some public servants and politicians who later tested positive for COVID-19.

Robes used a very personal approach to encourage people to be responsible enough to automatically undergo self-quarantine and practice physical distancing. "Alam n'yo nung panahon na ako ay nasa loob lang ng kwarto, sobrang lungkot ako. My daughter was asking me, 'Mom, when can I hug you? When can I kiss you?' I told her, 'On Thursday, anak. And that's today, my 21st day of self-quarantine. Bakit ko ito ginawa? Kasi I love my family most and, of course, I love my family here in the district of the city of San Jose del Monte. Ayaw ko 'yung na-expose na nga ako, tapos lalabas pa ako. It's very irresponsible if I do that. Dahil mahal ko kayo, tiniis ko na nakikita ko lang si Mayor [Arthur Robes] outside, nakikita ko lang ang aking mga kapamilya combatting this kind of calamity."

The congresswoman went on to discuss SJDM's efforts during the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ). She explained that she and her husband SJDM Mayor Arthur Robes (who went into self-quarantine about a week after she did) and their respective teams worked using a three-point framework that was based on one principle: "Pagyamanin mo kung ano ang meron ka." This involved the following:

1. Seeking a resolution to enable the use of the calamity fund.

2. Coordinated with frontlines, which included the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) about setting up of checkpoints according to the guidelines set by the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the implementation of the ECQ.

3. Implementing rehabilitation programs to address the needs of the people, especially the micro and small business owners.

In line with the Robes couple's mission of inclusive progress, Congresswoman Robes explained that they made sure to cater to nearly 69,000 indigent people in SJDM. Indeed, in the first wave of the distribution of relief packs, 10,910 indigent people were served. In the second wave, 58,060 people were reached. Congresswoman Robes stated that there would be a third wave of relief pack distribution. "Ideally, we could go to all the 145,000 households in SJDM," she added.

Robes mentioned that they were also waiting for the full implementation of the "Bayanihan Heal as One" (BAHO) Act so that more help could be extended to the people of SJDM.

When asked how she felt about the bashers who criticized her and Mayor Robes' efforts, Congresswoman Robes said, "Nakikiusuap po ako na huwag na po nating isali ang pamumulitika rito. Your criticisms are welcome, but if you cannot contribute anything then please just pray for our city." The congresswoman asked everyone to just unite so that the whole district could get through the crisis.

Just a week after its #OneAgainstCOVID19 initiative launched, PayMaya has already helped raised more than P7.8 million in donations from Filipinos all over the world through its digital payments channels, with donations growing rapidly by the day.

This feat was accomplished as companies and non-profit organizations such as the Philippine Red Cross, UNICEF, Caritas Manila, OXFAM Pilipinas, the UP PGH Foundation and other groups work together to mobilize much needed relief and resources to help combat the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.  

With many financial touch points such as banks and payment centers in limited operations and as cash handling is discouraged to prevent the spread of the virus, digital financial services like PayMaya indeed offer the fastest, safest and easiest way for people to contribute to various response and relief efforts addressing COVID-19. 

“The response we have gotten just a week after launch has been tremendous, which only highlights not just the magnanimity but also the creativity of Filipinos in responding to this crisis, aided by technology. We will continue to support consumers, businesses, communities, government agencies, and humanitarian organizations in this united effort during this pandemic by providing the most convenient and inclusive means of sending monetary support,” said Orlando Vea, Founder and CEO of PayMaya. 

With the most extensive network of humanitarian and non-profit partner organizations and various causes supported, the #OneAgainstCOVID19 initiative has quickly become a one-stop-shop for those who are looking to support medical personnel, frontliners, and disadvantaged communities who are caught in the crossfires of the battle against the disease. This is because aside from enabling donations via the PayMaya app, even overseas Filipinos and other card holders are able to contribute to #OneAgainstCOVID19 efforts via PayMaya's end-to-end platforms.  

To date, people with credit, debit, and prepaid cards, as well as PayMaya accounts, can donate via the website (http://donate.paymaya.com) or the PayMaya app to the following organizations: Philippine Red Cross, UNICEF, PGH Medical Foundation, Caritas Manila, OXFAM Pilipinas, Philippine Business for Social Progress, Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation, Kaya Natin! Movement for Good Governance & Ethical Leadership, Ronald McDonald House of Charities Phlippines, YesPinoy Foundation, Alagang Kapatid Foundation, PLDT-Smart Foundation, Rock Ed Philippines, UTownPen Foundation, #nowheretogobutUP Foundation, and the #UniTENTweStandPH initiative of actress Angel Locsin. 

Online concerts, game streaming

As the enhanced community quarantine persists across the island of Luzon and some provinces in the Visayas and Mindanao, many individuals and groups have turned to showcasing their talents and skills to help encourage people to donate to various funds for COVID-19 response and relief efforts through the #OneAgainstCOVID19 project.

National Artist for Music Ryan Cayabyab, for instance, has kickstarted “Bayanihan Musikahan” in partnership with the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP), which features a nightly online concert highlighting the best of OPM via Facebook, YouTube, and other streaming channels. Donations to urban poor communities are accepted through PayMaya's #OneAgainstCOVID19 channels.

With the enhanced community quarantine still scheduled to last a few more weeks, the need for funds and resources will continue to rise as the whole country attempts to "flatten the curve" of the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic and mitigate its socio-economic effects, especially to the most vulnerable segments of our communities. 

As part of precautionary measures against the disease, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas has encourage the use of digital payments in transactions since paper bills have been found to be potential carriers of the virus. 

To this end, PayMaya has encouraged users to send money, pay their bills, or do bank transfers through the app instead of stepping out of the house to perform these transactions. Users can also send money to anyone in the country using their PayMaya account by doing a Send Money transaction to a Smart Padala by PayMaya center. 

While the COVID-19 pandemic has forced people to self-isolate in their homes, digital financial initiatives such as #OneAgainstCOVID19 show that Filipinos can quickly stand united with the help of technology. 

To donate to the #OneAgainstPayMaya campaign, visit http://donate.paymaya.com or go to the Pay Bills section of the PayMaya app.