Offers to digitize DSWD aid distribution for free dropped due to legal barriers —Sec. Tulfo

Several companies had dropped their free offers to help the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to shift to digitalized aid distribution due to legal barriers, Secretary Erwin Tulfo said Wednesday.

Tulfo bared this at the Senate finance committee hearing on the DSWD's proposed P194.63 billion budget for 2023 when Senator Sherwin Gatchalian asked if the DSWD are making efforts to digitalize its distribution of government financial assistance.

"There are lots of companies [that] already volunteered to do help us digitalize free of charge. Unfortunately, there are laws that are stopping us from moving so," Tulfo told the Senate panel.

"[There are] policies from the Government Procurement and Policy Board stating that we cannot do that. It has to go through bidding. Ang problema po kasi, libre na nga po 'yung services, wala ho ngayong gusto to undergo bidding pa. Wala naman pong ilalabas na money ang government. So bakit kailangan ipa-bid?" he added.

In July, Tulfo said one company had promised to digitalize the distribution of Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS) in Metro Manila within the first 100 days of the new administration.

However, the GPBB policy hindered them from proceeding with the offer.

"They have to go through this process of bidding, so medyo umatras po sila. Kaya nga right now, I'm waiting for the DBM's response pertaining this matter," Tulfo said, referring to the Department of Budget and Management.

Gatchalian welcomed Tulfo's statement that DSWD is embracing digitalization, as he earlier mentioned that the "quite primitive" mode of distribution is making the jobs of the agency as well as local government units more difficult.

The lawmaker asked the DSWD to submit a report on the complications they encounter in the digitalization of aid distribution in order for the Senate to help them with the legal barriers. —KBK, GMA News