For the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), strengthening linkages between donors and charity-driven foundations and non-government organizations (NGOs) is one way of honoring the good work that they do for Filipinos in need.
Assistant Secretary Marie Rafael of the DSWD’s Partnerships Building and Resource Mobilization Office (PBRMO) told a news forum that simplifying the donation process for both donors and donees was the primary objective of the newly-launched Kaagapay Donations Portal.
“For Kaagapay Donations Portal, our aim is to bring in donors and beneficiaries together for us to bring a welcoming environment of giving and sharing,” Asst. Secretary Rafael told reporters at the Saturday News Forum on March 29 at the Dapo Restaurant in Quezon City.
The online platform is designed to provide donors with a simpler and more convenient way to extend their donations to charitable groups or social welfare and development agencies (SWDAs), DSWD’s disaster relief operations, as well as agency-managed centers and residential care facilities (CRCFs).
Prospective donors may also access information on local government units (LGUs) engaged in humanitarian response during disasters and emergencies through the platform.
Asst. Secretary Rafael said the initiative can be likened to a matchmaking platform that connect people of similar interests.
“Kumbaga, it’s like a matching application for donors and beneficiaries. Kung gusto ng donors ng mga programa at SWDAs para sa mga seniors natin, or for the youth or for the children — lahat yan pwedeng ma-access sa Kaagapay Donations Portal. Makikita ng prospective donors yung information nila, and their advocacies,” Asst. Secretary Rafael pointed out.
Donations, whether in-kind or in-cash, goes directly to the intended beneficiaries, ensuring that the assistance reaches people in need in the immediate time possible.
Cash donations can be processed via Gcash, PayMaya and LandBank, while in-kind donations can be delivered through the courier services of Grab, Lalamove, and J&T Express.
Highlighting the portal’s security, Asst. Secretary Rafael told reporters that it only features agency-accredited and licensed SWDAs with public solicitation permits.
With this measure, donors are assured that fly-by-night foundations and dishonest transactions will have no place in the platform.
“The Kaagapay is our way of saying thank you to our SWDAs for abiding to the regulations of the government. We do want to highlight, of course, accredited and licensed foundations, particularly yung naguumpisang organizations that are doing social welfare programs dahil sila ang mas importante sa portal,” Asst. Secretary Rafael explained.
As of March 29, a total of Php1.4M in donations from 25 donors has been processed under the portal.
Launched under the leadership of DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian, the Kaagapay Donations Portal is in line with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s socioeconomic agenda focused on digitalizing government processes and transactions.