LANDBANK tapped to deliver pre-disaster aid in typhoon-prone towns

The Land Bank of the Philippines (LANDBANK) has partnered with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to provide pre-disaster financial assistance to about 22,000 families from typhoon-prone towns in Catanduanes and Northern Samar.

Under the partnership, LANDBANK will facilitate the disbursement of multi-purpose unconditional cash transfers to beneficiaries under the DSWD’s Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) program worth P1,000 each via LANDBANK Prepaid Cards. The cash transfers will be disbursed three days prior to the expected landfall of a Category 4 or 5 typhoon.

Target beneficiaries of the program—more popularly known as the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps)—include families residing in the municipalities of Baras, Bato, San Andres and Virac in Catanduanes, and the municipalities of Catarman, Catubig, Gamay, Mondragon, and San Roque in Northern Samar.

The provision of cash transfers to selected 4Ps beneficary-households is part of the pilot testing of the United Nations (UN) Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) for Anticipatory Action in the country, designed to mitigate the impact of typhoons on people’s homes and livelihood while building on the government’s mandatory pre-emptive evacuation procedures.

DSWD Undersecretary Felicisimo C. Budiongan, UNICEF Philippines Deputy Representative Behzad Noubary and Chief of Social Policy Atty. Anjanette Saguisag, and LANDBANK Senior Vice President Marilou L. Villafranca signed a memorandum of understanding on 14 June 2022 in Quezon City to formalize the partnership.

“LANDBANK’s collaboration with the DSWD and UNICEF ensures the delivery of immediate and secure cash assistance to vulnerable sectors in high-risk towns prone to typhoons. This complements our efforts towards building stronger and more resilient communities, as part of our broader thrust of serving the nation,” said LANDBANK President and CEO Cecilia C. Borromeo.

Beneficiaries can use the LANDBANK Prepaid Cards to withdraw cash assistance from LANDBANK automated teller machines (ATMs) and Agent Banking Partners, and make cashless purchases in groceries and drugstores via point-of-sale (POS) terminals.

The state-run Bank has also upgraded the existing LANDBANK prepaid cards of the beneficiaries into transaction accounts with expanded features to provide more convenient banking services.

As of end-May 2022, LANDBANK has produced cards for all 4.4 million 4Ps beneficiaries nationwide to facilitate timely, safe and convenient distribution of cash subsidies from the National Government.

LANDBANK remains steadfast in the fulfillment of its expanded mandate as the delivery arm for the National Government’s social protection initiatives, in line with servicing the country’s underserved and marginalized sectors.