Photo Release

A “Pharmally” scheme in DSWD? : Sen. Francis Pangilinan asks officials from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) if digital wallet service provider Starpay, which was contracted by the DSWD to distribute cash aid, is similar to the controversy-ridden Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp., during the Finance Subcommittee I hearing on the proposed 2022 budget of the DSWD. Pangilinan noted that similar to Pharmally, Starpay was questionably awarded a huge government contract instead of bigger, more established financial service providers such as Gcash and Paymaya. He noted that like Pharmally, Starpay had also suffered from financial problems before it suddenly won multi-billion government contracts. “I think the question is: Is Starpay the Pharmally of the DSWD or not?” Pangilinan said Monday, October 11, 2021. (Screen grab/Senate PRIB)