The Senate Committee on Social Justice, Welfare, and Rural Development, chaired by Senator Erwin Tulfo, is moving to remove “unnecessary requirements” and politics from the distribution of government aid.
Tulfo made the statement during a recent committee hearing on his proposed measure to institutionalize the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) program.
“Ang gagawin natin ay lilimitahan ang mga requirement sa dalawa na lamang. Sisiguraduhin nating matatanggal ang mga hindi kailangang requirement gaya ng barangay indigency form at marriage contract. Halimbawa, kailangan mo ng medical assistance, valid ID at hospital bill lang ang kailangang ipakita,” Tulfo said.
According to the senator, simplifying the requirements would help prevent political interference in aid distribution.
“Sa totoo lang, dito pumapasok ang politika dahil kapag nangangailangan ng tulong ang isang Pilipino, wala silang choice kundi kumuha ng indigency form kung saan nakapaskil ang mukha at pangalan ng mga opisyal ng barangay. Requirement ito sa kasalukuyan; kung wala nito, wala silang makukuha na tulong,” he said.
At present, applicants are required to submit several documents, including a valid ID, certificate of indigency, barangay clearance, notarized affidavit, Social Case Study Report, and in some cases, a marriage certificate.
The DSWD, for its part, said that once the proposed AICS measure becomes law, it plans to elevate the program into a bureau to improve staffing and implementation.
Tulfo also urged the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to swiftly disseminate information clarifying the ban on political involvement in aid distribution.
“Malinaw sa 2026 General Appropriations Act na hindi pinapayagan ang presensya ng sinumang politiko. Aksyunan ito agad dahil malapit na ang eleksyon, at nangangamba ang ating mga kababayan na baka gamitin na naman sa politika ang ayuda,” Tulfo said.
In response, the DILG issued Memorandum Circular No. 2026-066, prohibiting the placement of names or images of government officials on any government-funded projects.