Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano is proposing the integration of digital systems into the processing of medical, burial, and other financial assistance under the proposed Simplified Government Aid Access Act (Senate Bill No. 155).
As the Senate moves to pass the measure aimed at streamlining and standardizing documentary requirements for indigent beneficiaries, Cayetano urged that the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) be designated as the lead agency in developing and managing the eGov Super App or similar digital platforms for aid applications.
Cayetano, principal sponsor of the E-Governance Law (Republic Act No. 12254), said online or mobile applications should facilitate requests for assistance to improve efficiency and transparency.
His proposed amendments, introduced by bill sponsor Senator Erwin Tulfo during the February 10 plenary session, also require hospitals and clinics to clearly indicate required information in medical certificates in coordination with the Department of Health, and allow alternative proof of authorization for beneficiaries unable to sign due to age, illness, disability, or illiteracy.
Since returning to the Senate in 2022, Cayetano has advocated a digitalized aid distribution system, saying algorithms and digital verification can reduce political interference and corruption.