On June 21, IPA Philippines presented to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Philippines Research Reference Group (RRG) meeting on Research and Experimentation on Digital Financial Inclusion.The RRG is composed of the research teams of UNDP-funded digital financial inclusion experimentation projects, which includes IPA and KindMind, and key stakeholders such as the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).Nassreena Sampaco-Baddiri (Country Director, IPA Philippines) and Cesi Cruz (Assistant Professor Vancouver School of Economics, University of British Columbia) gave an overview of the Philippines Nimble Experimentation on Digital Financial Literacy Inclusion research.

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected global economic activity and continues to imperil the livelihoods of many.The effects of the pandemic on the poor in developing countries may be particularly severe, as many citizens are already vulnerable and largely without access to formal government social protection.In this context, many cost-effective and rapidly scalable mechanisms have emerged to extend social support during this crisis.

On June 14, IPA presented the results from the Digital Cash Transfer Monitoring Study to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Social Amelioration Program (SAP—emergency subsidy) Small Working Group.IPA, in collaboration with the DSWD and the World Bank, conducted a phone survey of SAP beneficiaries to understand beneficiary experience with digital G2P payment delivery through financial service providers.This second presentation to DSWD includes undersecretaries, assistant secretaries, and directors of the Department.Dr.Nassreena Sampaco-Baddiri (Country Director, IPA Philippines) and Dr.