MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Sunday urged local government units (LGUs) to study digital payment systems for the distribution of government assistance, while reiterating that politicians should not turn aid programs into platforms for self-promotion.
In his latest vlog episode, Marcos responded to public feedback calling for faster and more convenient distribution of assistance, particularly for senior citizens and other beneficiaries.
“Alam niyo po basta’t ito ay mga programa ng national government, ang mga speech at iba pang pang-epal bago ng distribution, hindi na pupuwede ‘yan (You know, as long as these are national government programs, speeches and other publicity before distribution, that's not allowed),” Marcos said.
“Hindi puwedeng gamitin ang government services sa pamumulitika o pagpo-promote ng sarili (Government services cannot be used for politicking or self-promotion),” he stressed.
“Epal” is the Filipino colloquial term for “mapapel” or attention-grabber.
The President said the prohibition is already provided under a Department of the Interior and Local Government memorandum circular and provisions in the General Appropriations Act governing the use of public funds.
He raised the possibility of digitizing the distribution process to make the delivery of assistance quicker and more efficient.
“Sa distribution naman, pinapag-usapan na ang pag-digitize ng proseso. Baka puwedeng (virtual walltet) GCash (As for distribution, there are discussions about digitizing the process. Maybe through digital payments like GCash),” Marcos said, noting that some LGUs like Makati City are exploring such systems.
The President encouraged local governments to review and gradually adopt similar models.
“Dapat tingnan pa rin ng mga local government unit ang modelong ito. Aralin ang sistema at unti-unting ma-implementa (Local government units should start looking at this model. Study the system and gradually implement it),” he said.
He added that aid programs funded by the national government should be delivered efficiently and without unnecessary delays and political grandstanding.
“Basta’t sa national government nanggaling ‘yan, mabilis na. ‘Di ka na kailangan makinig sa mahabang speech ng mga pulitiko (As long as it comes from the national government, it's quick. You don't need to listen to the politicians' long speeches).” (PNA)
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DIGITAL AID PAYOUTS. The Department of Social Welfare and Development distributes cash assistance to victims of the El Niño phenomenon in this undated photo. President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., in his latest vlog released Sunday (March 8, 2026), urged local government units to study digital payment systems for the distribution of government assistance. (DSWD file photo)