Palawan Group Strengthens Partnership with LANDBANK, DSWD to Expand Access to Financial Assistance

For many Filipinos who rely on government assistance, getting the support they need can come with its own set of challenges. Reaching a payout center may mean spending extra for transportation, taking time away from work, or traveling a considerable distance—an added burden for households already managing limited resources.

From left to right: Karlo Enrico Amurao, Key Accounts Supervisor of Palawan; Missy Baldemor, Head of Palawan for Business; Virginia C. Limbo, Head of the Southwest Luzon Branches Group for LandBank; Rosemarie Atienza, Head of the Southeast Luzon Branches Group for LandBank; Lizza Mae F. Camposano, Head of the Calapan Branch for LandBank

Making assistance available, therefore, also means making it easier to receive.

With its extensive physical and digital financial services network, the Palawan Group of Companies is helping make government assistance more accessible to more Filipinos.
 
The Palawan Group is strengthening its partnership with the Land Bank of the Philippines (LANDBANK) and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to support the distribution of financial assistance through DSWD’s Hybrid Digital Payout (HDP) System.
 
The partnership was formalized through a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) signing at the LANDBANK Tanauan Branch in Batangas, bringing together the Palawan Group, LANDBANK Southwest Luzon Branches Group, and DSWD. Under the agreement, Palawan Group will serve as an accredited Financial Service Provider (FSP) for distributing financial assistance under the HDP System.

Palawan Group and LANDBANK executives formalized the partnership.

The HDP System gives eligible beneficiaries more ways to receive government assistance by combining digital and over-the-counter payout channels. Those who are able to transact digitally can receive their assistance electronically, while beneficiaries who prefer or need face-to-face transactions can use physical payout points.
 
This flexibility recognizes that beneficiaries have different circumstances and levels of access to financial services. They may include low-income households, senior citizens, informal workers, and other vulnerable individuals and families who rely on government support to help meet essential needs.
 
For Palawan Group, the partnership builds on its BrickTech approach, which combines its physical branch network with digital financial services to give Filipinos more ways to transact.
 
With more than 3,800 branches nationwide and 23 million PalawanPay users, Palawan can leverage both channels to support the HDP System. Its branches offer a familiar face-to-face option, while PalawanPay provides a digital alternative for beneficiaries who are equipped and comfortable with digital transactions.
 
Together, these channels can bring payout services within easier reach of beneficiaries, particularly those with limited access to traditional banking facilities.

Palawan Group and LANDBANK representatives during the contract signing ceremony.

“This partnership strengthens the work we have already been doing together and allows us to support more beneficiaries through accessible and convenient payout channels. We can help bring assistance closer to communities. For us, this is what serbisyong may malasakit means—using our network to make financial services more accessible and responsive to the needs of the Filipinos we serve,” said Missy Baldemor, Head of Palawan for Business, on behalf of Chief Business Development Officer Lisa Castro-Sabado.
 
The collaboration brings together the complementary strengths of the three organizations: DSWD in implementing social protection programs, LANDBANK in providing the financial infrastructure for government payouts, and Palawan Group in providing additional physical and digital channels for beneficiaries.
 
For beneficiaries, more ways to receive assistance can mean less time spent traveling, greater flexibility in how they transact, and easier access to funds for everyday needs.
 
The partnership also reflects Palawan Group’s continuing commitment to financial inclusion and its work with government and private sector partners to make financial services more accessible to more Filipinos. Through its BrickTech model, the Group continues to connect its nationwide physical presence with digital solutions, allowing it to serve customers through the channels that best fit their needs.
 
Through its partnership with LANDBANK and DSWD, Palawan Group will continue to support the efficient and reliable distribution of government financial assistance—helping make the process simpler and more accessible for the Filipinos it serves.