Online Payments, Auto-Payments for Utility Bills Suggested

June 28, 2020 Metro BLISTT

BAGUIO CITY – The city dads are requesting the Benguet Electric Cooperative (BENECO), Baguio Water District (BWD), and other public utility companies in the city to consider the possibility of providing for online payments or automatic payment arrangements of bills, subscriptions, and other transactions.
In a resolution unanimously approved on June 22, the council members suggest a cashless transaction in order to contribute to the health and safety of constituents amid the coronavirus pandemic. An online payment is an electronic transfer of money to the service provider’s bank account, usually through the use of an online application.
An automatic payment, on the other hand, is a scheduled payment method with the banks either through debits or credits. An automatic payment occurs when the money automatically transfers from the customer’s account (debit) or when the bill is charged to his account (credit) to pay a recurring bill such as a utility bill.
Vice Mayor Faustino Olowan, main author of the resolution, said such alternative modes of paying bills would reduce the number of individuals leaving their homes, thus preventing the risk of exposure to COVID-19. This, according to Olowan, would improve the customers’ safety and convenience.
Despite stringent measures still being undertaken in order to protect the health and safety of constituents, the city continues to record a number of new cases while under the Modified General Community Quarantine (GMC).
The city council considers e-payment as a low-risk solution to late payments and inconveniences due to restrictions on mobility and other community quarantine protocols. According to the resolution, many companies, particularly those that provide basic services, have already integrated online payments and automatic payment arrangements as alternative modes of transaction to ensure customer safety.
At present, the Baguio Water District allows e-payments through GCash and through their website but are only limited to those having an account with the Landbank.
Jordan G. Habbiling