Incoming DSWD chief Tulfo vows to prioritize pandemic recovery, faster aid distribution

Broadcaster Erwin Tulfo on Tuesday said he will prioritize the country's COVID-19 pandemic recovery when he assumes the post of secretary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) under the incoming Marcos administration.

Aside from pandemic recovery, Tulfo also vowed to prioritize faster financial aid and relief good distribution during calamities.

Interviewed on Unang Balita a day after his nomination to the post was announced, Tulfo pointed out that he wants to expedite the allocation of aid to calamity-stricken areas so that people would no longer have to wait for 24 hours or so.

“Ang tututukan natin ‘yung mapabilis ang pagdadating ng mga ayuda at relief goods and all kapag may bagyo o calamities,” he said.

“Pero ang marching order ng president-elect natin ay kailangan matugunan itong problema hindi sa pandemiya [kundi ang] pandemic recovery. Kasama ho diyan ang DSWD.”

(We will focus on speeding up the arrival of aid and relief goods when there are typhoons or calamities. But the marching order of our president-elect is to address this problem not with the pandemic, but the pandemic recovery. That includes the help from DSWD.)

DSWD implements social welfare and development policies and programs and as such, is one of the top 10 agencies that receives the biggest allocation in the national budget.

Asked about how he plans to allocate the remaining multi-billion peso budget of DSWD, Tulfo said, “We will make sure na ‘yung mga nawalan ng trabaho, mabibigyan natin ng ayuda at ng pampuhunan. ‘Yan ang gusto ng ating Pangulo.”

(We will ensure that those who lost their jobs will be given financial aid and livelihood assistance. That is what the President wants.)

The broadcast journalist also said that he will tap social workers and experts as advisers to guide him on how to properly run the agency and help address other pressing issues involving teenage pregnancy and universal healthcare law.

DSWD Assistant Secretary Joseline Niwane on Monday urged the incoming Marcos administration to ensure that measures aimed at preventing teenage pregnancy will be in place, and that there will be a smooth implementation of the Universal Health Care law and the Conditional Cash Transfer program.

Meanwhile, Tulfo called on the public, particularly his critics, to judge him based on his performance as DSWD chief after six months. He said he may let somebody else lead DSWD if he could not function well within this timeframe.

“You cannot please everybody. Ang hihingin ko lang po ay i-judge ako based on my performance after one year siguro. Sige, kahit six months na lamang ang hinihingi ko. Siguro, that would be fair and square [What I’m asking is for them to judge me based on my performance after six months to one year],” he said.

“‘Pag hindi po tayo nag-perform in six months, then okay lang ho, banatan siguro nila [they can criticize me if I do not perform well in six months]. Or if I cannot deliver in six months to one year, then I guess I have to step down and let somebody else run this department,” he added.

In 2019, Tulfo was criticized for blasting then-DSWD Secretary Rolando Bautista after the latter supposedly failed to grant him an interview on his radio program.

Tulfo apologized but said he stood by his criticism of Bautista.  —KBK, GMA News