MANILA, Philippines – Should government departments regulate public solicitation and donation drives?

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) announced that any person or group looking to solicit donations during the coronavirus pandemic is required to secure a permit from the DSWD.

The department invoked Presidential Decree (PD) 1564, which mandates DSWD to “regulate the solicitation of donations and voluntary contributions from the public sector.”

As per DSWD Administrative Order No. 170, regional fund drives require a processing fee of P500, while national fund drives require a fee of P1,000.

DSWD posted the advisory on their social media accounts Wednesday, April 16. The posts have since been deleted, and the DSWD said it is reviewing guidelines on solicitation to make processes “more responsive to the emergency situation.” This will include automating the processes, as well as waiving the fees.

Many slammed the department for its unnecessary bureaucratic policies and “red tape”, making soliciting donations more difficult.

A number of Filipinos were also disappointed with the need to charge fees for charity work.

Tutulong ka na nga, pababayarin ka pa. Bunch of incompetent clowns. https://t.co/9KtY015Vwo

— Noelle Jardenico Maravilla‏ (@noellemaravilla) April 16, 2020

pagkakakitaan pa????? ewan ko na talaga https://t.co/LTUHoEejkQ

— mela (@carmelasilv) April 16, 2020

Other netizens, however, understood the need for the regulation, as it would eliminate scammers.

Here’s what others had to say:

DSWD regulating donations – Curated tweets by rapplerdotcom

What are your thoughts on this issue? – Rappler.com