MANILA – The Senate Committee on Social Justice, Welfare, and Rural Development, chaired by Senator Erwin Tulfo, is moving to make government aid more accessible by removing unnecessary requirements and preventing political interference.

Speaking during a hearing on his bill to institutionalize the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) Program, Tulfo said beneficiaries will only need two documents—such as a valid ID and a hospital bill for medical assistance—eliminating requirements like barangay indigency forms and marriage certificates.

“Currently, Filipinos seeking aid often must secure multiple documents, some bearing the names and faces of barangay officials. This opens the door for politics,” Tulfo said. “We want to remove those barriers so help reaches the people directly.”

If enacted, the AICS program may be elevated into a bureau to strengthen staffing and implementation, the DSWD said.

Tulfo also directed the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to ensure that politicians are prohibited from intervening in aid distribution. In response, the DILG issued Memorandum Circular No. 2026-066, instructing that public officials’ names or photos must not appear on government-funded projects.

The move aligns with Tulfo’s ongoing “anti-epal” campaign to stop officials from claiming credit for public assistance programs.