The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Friday announced it is now accepting GCash as an alternative payment mode for applications under the Minors Traveling Abroad (MTA) system and the Harmonized Electronic License and Permit System (HELPS).
Applicants may simply choose “GCash” as their payment option on the final page of the online application form to use the service.
“We have added GCash to make it easier and closer to the public to pay the fees for obtaining travel clearance and certificate of exemption for children who will travel abroad, and also for the application of the certificate of registration, license to operate, and accreditation (CRLA) of the social welfare and development agencies (SWDAs) that are our partners in protecting the welfare of the vulnerable sector,” DSWD’s Standards Bureau Director Megan Therese Manahan said in a mix of English and Filipino.
She said the MTA system and HELPS are part of the DSWD’s digitalization push in support of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to automate up to 90 percent of government transactions to improve public service delivery.
Manahan noted that other online payment options, such as the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) and Maya, will remain available.
Through the MTA, the DSWD issues travel clearances to Filipino minors traveling abroad to ensure their protection against trafficking, exploitation, and other forms of abuse.
HELPS likewise streamlines the processing of the CRLA for SWDAs, public solicitation permits, as well as the issuance of certifications for duty-exempt importation (DEI) of donated goods.
The MTA system and HELPS are also integrated into the eGov platform, making online applications more convenient.
“What we have said in the DSWD, ‘don’t fall in line, go online.’ These digital platforms allow parents and guardians, and SWDAs to conveniently submit applications and receive approved travel clearances and CLRAs entirely online, provided that all documentary requirements are complete and accurate,” Manahan said.
