Senator Erwin Tulfo on Sunday vowed that the Senate Committee on Social Justice, Welfare, and Rural Development which he chairs will do away with unnecessary requirements and political interference in the grant of government financial assistance.
This follows an earlier declaration from the neophyte senator pushing his bill to make the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) program permanent and institutionalized.
“We will limit the requirements to just two. We will make sure unnecessary documents such as the barangay indigency form and marriage contract are removed,” he assured.
“If you need medical assistance, you will only have to present a valid ID and a hospital bill,” Tulfo said.
Simplifying the process, he said, will curb opportunities for politicians to influence the distribution of assistance.
At present, applicants must submit multiple documents including a valid ID, a certificate of indigency, barangay clearance, a notarized affidavit, a social case study report and, in some instances, a marriage certificate.
“This is where politics comes in because when a Filipino needs help, they have no choice but to secure an indigency form that displays the names and photos of barangay officials. It is currently a requirement, and without it, they will not receive any assistance,” he said.
For its part, the DSWD said that if the measure becomes law, the agency will elevate the AICS program into a bureau to strengthen staffing and improve implementation.
Meanwhile, the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) recently issued Memorandum Circular No. 2026-066 prohibiting the inclusion of names or images of government officials on publicly funded projects.
“It is clear in the 2026 General Appropriations Act that the presence of any politician is not allowed. This should be acted on immediately because the elections are near, and our fellow citizens fear that aid may once again be used for political purposes,” Tulfo said.
