A lawmaking tandem is proposing the creation of a single window system for all social services to ensure easier access and faster service delivery.
Through House Bill No. 7465 or the “ACCESS Bill,” Solid North Party-list Rep. Ching Bernos and Abra lone district Rep. JB Bernos are pushing for the establishment of an Accelerated Citizen-Centered Social Services (ACCESS) System in all local government units that would serve as a unified access point for government social services through both physical service centers and a digital platform.
“Through ACCESS, Filipinos can simply go to their respective LGUs to avail of social services that they need. Hindi na dapat pinahihirapan at kailangang tumalon pa sa iba’t ibang opisina ang mga mamamayan para malaman kung ano ang tulong na maaaring ibigay sa kanila ng pamahalaan,” Rep. Ching Bernos said.
Their proposal is in line with the principle of local governments being the people’s first line of help, she also said.
“Kapag ang tao, lumapit sa gobyerno, madalas ibig sabihin, emergency yan. Kaya dapaat, agaran din ang aksyon at serbisyong ibinibigay.”
Under the Bernos couple’s proposal, the ACCESS System shall facilitate access, intake, coordination, referral, and tracking of various government social services.
These include social welfare and assistance services offered by the Department of Social Welfare and Development; health and social insurance services, including membership registration, updating, verification, and information services of PhilHealth; social security and retirement services, including registration, contribution inquiries, and benefit application assistance for the Social Security System and the Government Service Insurance System; housing and savings services, including membership and program assistance under the Pag-IBIG Fund;
Employment and labor assistance programs of the Department of Labor and Employment and Public Employment Service Offices; civil registration and identity services, including facilitation of birth, marriage, and death registration under the Philippine Statistics Authority, and services related to the Philippine Identification System; local gov’t social services, including programs for senior citizens and persons with disabilities, solo parents, scholars, indigent residents, and other priority sectors.
The ACCESS System shall serve as the primary entry for those availing government social services; provide standardized intake, documentation assistance, and referral services; coordinate with concerned agencies for application processing and follow-up; and establish a unified tracking or reference system for service requests.
The proposal is in line with the principle of local governments being the people’s first line of help.
It shall also provide information on eligibility, requirements, and timelines; and maintain both physical service centers and digital access platforms.
Rep. JB Bernos underlined the need for government to continue working to simplify its processes, particularly with regard to social services, considering the urgent nature of these concerns.
He said that those who need social services do not have the luxury of time nor resources and capability to comply with various requirements, thus it is the government itself that should accommodate them.
“Kapag ang tao, lumapit sa gobyerno, madalas ibig sabihin, emergency yan. Kaya dapaat, agaran din ang aksyon at serbisyong ibinibigay. We believe that the ACCESS System can help streamline government processes and ensure that people who already need help are not further burdened or hassled by red tape,” he said.
