Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero is pushing for a broader and uniform definition of indigency to allow more Filipinos to qualify for government assistance, saying existing standards can overlook families unable to afford major medical or legal expenses.
Escudero said indigency should not be determined solely by a household’s income because some families may earn above established poverty thresholds but still lack the financial capacity to absorb extraordinary expenses.
“Indigency, therefore, should also be defined by circumstance, and not just income,” he said in his podcast “Chiz Wiz! Usapang May Laman,” aired over the weekend.
He cited serious illness and legal proceedings as situations that can push families into financial hardship even when their regular income does not place them within conventional poverty classifications.
Escudero said a family dealing with a serious illness such as leukemia could be considered “cancer-indigent,” while a household unable to shoulder legal expenses could be classified as “litigation-indigent.”
He said this could include professionals such as teachers whose earnings exceed the minimum wage but who may still struggle with extraordinary medical or legal costs.
“Ano ba talaga ibig sabihin ng indigency? Meaning 4Ps ka ba? Ang problema kasi sa batas natin iisa lang ibig sabihin ng indigency. Pero para sa akin iba’t iba ang level ng indigency,” Escudero said.
He noted that current laws do not provide a single definition of indigency across government agencies.
Barangays issue certificates of indigency under the Local Government Code, while the Public Attorney’s Office uses a threshold aligned with Philippine Statistics Authority metrics. The law governing the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, or 4Ps, meanwhile, relies on the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s targeting system to identify poor households.
Escudero said the differences among these standards can leave out families who do not meet an income based threshold but cannot afford costs associated with medical treatment or litigation.
“Kamukha rin nito magpa-file ka ng nullity of marriage, hindi naman ganon kadaling pulutin ‘yung P200,000 to P500,000 na panggastos diyan, di ba? So, litigation-indigent siya. Pag may nagkasakit sa pamilya mo, tulad ng cancer, cancer-indigent ‘yung pamilya mo,” he explained.
He said the current one-size-fits-all approach should be reconsidered to recognize different circumstances that can make a household indigent.
Litigation lawyer Maggie Garduque, Escudero’s guest on the podcast, supported the idea of recognizing different classifications of indigency, although the discussion as provided did not include the full details of her position.
Escudero said a broader approach could make government services more accessible to Filipinos whose financial circumstances are not adequately reflected by existing income based classifications.
Photo courtesy of Inquirer.net
Comments