Capitol cuts aid processin time to 21 working days

CEBU, Philippines — Cebu Governor Pamela Baricuatro marked her 60th birthday on Monday with the launch of an improved provincial social assistance program that seeks to shorten the processing of financial aid and make government services more accessible to residents in need.

At the Capitol, Baricuatro's administration introduced the rebranded Assistance to the Marginalized for a People-centered, Inclusive, and Nurturing Governance (AMPING) Sugbo. The initiative is an enhanced version of its Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS) program.

Under the revised system, beneficiaries can now receive assistance within 21 working days, a significant reduction from the previous processing period of two to three months, according to the provincial government.

The program will also be extended to all 16 district and provincial hospitals managed by the Capitol, allowing residents to apply for assistance without having to travel to the provincial government center in Cebu City.

Baricuatro said the changes form part of her administration's efforts to improve government systems and ensure that public services are delivered more efficiently and conveniently.

"A year after the Cebuano people overwhelming put me in this position to be their servant leader, we gather today to launch the improved and expanded AICS program," she said in her speech.

“This is part of our effort to improve systems in the Cebu provincial government, so that we may serve the people a lot better, through a kind of service that is made easier for them, through a kind of service that makes them feel that the government is really working for them,” the governor said.

She described AMPING Sugbo as the second major government process that her administration has reviewed and streamlined to improve service delivery.

The governor cited the previous launch of the Cebu Infrastructure Projects Management and Monitoring System (CIPMMS) on June 8, which introduced an upgraded workflow for infrastructure projects and an online dashboard intended to improve transparency.

For AMPING Sugbo, the provincial government reviewed the existing procedures to identify delays in the processing of assistance requests and establish clearer timelines for the offices involved.

The Provincial Planning and Development Office (PPDO) conducted workflow assessments and consultations with concerned departments to identify bottlenecks, particularly in the movement of documents between offices.

The Information and Communications Technology Office (ICTO), meanwhile, developed an internal digital monitoring system that tracks the progress of applications and flags offices that fail to complete their assigned tasks within the agreed timelines.

Repeated delays recorded through the monitoring system will also be considered in the performance evaluations of the concerned offices.

Previously, applicants who had submitted their requirements and undergone an intake interview were instructed to contact the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO) after a month to check whether their assistance was ready for release or had already been claimed by their service provider.

With the revised process, the administration expects applicants to receive their assistance within 21 working days, from the processing of their requests to the release of the aid.

Aside from shortening the waiting period, the establishment of AMPING Sugbo desks in the province's 16 district and provincial hospitals is expected to reduce the transportation expenses and time spent by applicants, particularly those living in far-flung areas.

The program continues to provide medical assistance covering hospitalization, medicines, laboratory examinations, and other medical procedures. It also extends burial assistance for funeral expenses and the transportation of remains.

Educational assistance for eligible students, transportation or fare assistance, food support, and psychosocial services are also included among the available forms of aid.

Applicants are required to submit a certificate of indigency issued by their barangay, a valid government-issued identification card, and documents relevant to their requests.

These include a medical abstract or certificate and the hospital's latest billing statement for medical assistance, a death certificate for burial assistance, and an enrollment certificate for educational aid.

The Capitol's AICS is a provincial social safety net administered by the PSWDO and is separate from the nationally funded AICS program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

It primarily serves underprivileged residents of Cebu province, excluding those from the highly urbanized cities of Cebu and Lapu-Lapu, who are covered by their respective local government units or the DSWD regional office.

Provincial Administrator Joseph "Ace" Durano, in his message during the launch, reminded Capitol employees, particularly those handling assistance requests, to treat beneficiaries with compassion and respect.

He also cautioned personnel against allowing workplace pressure and heavy workloads to affect the way they deal with people seeking government assistance.

"Mao nga even if you are tired kay daghang gitrabaho, ayaw intawon pag-inistrikto og sikasika-i ang mga tawo. Nagkalisod na gani sila maong nagpatabang, ato pa gyung kasab-an," he added.

Capitol Public Health Consultant Dr. Elisse Nicole Catalan said the program reflects the administration's commitment to ensuring that Cebuanos receive support during difficult circumstances.

"Ultimately, the objective of AMPING Sugbo is simple but meaningful: to provide faster, more accessible, comprehensive, and compassionate assistance to Cebuanos experiencing crisis, ensuring that no one is left behind during their most difficult moments," Catalan said.

Baricuatro, meanwhile, said the changes are part of her broader commitment to make the provincial government more responsive to the needs of its constituents.

To emphasize her administration's direction, she invoked the words of American civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. in expressing her vision of equal treatment and quality public service for all Cebuanos.

"I have a dream that one day this provincial government will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed—that all Cebuanos are equal in the eyes of the government and deserve the best service this government can offer," she said.

She ended her message by reiterating her commitment to remain a governor whose decisions and actions are centered on the welfare of the people.

"I promise that I will stay true to my campaign pledge that I will be the people's governor, one whose heart only beats for the people, one whose actions are always for the people," Baricuatro said. — (FREEMAN)