Zamboanga city: The city government has established a one-stop shop to expedite the release of burial assistance and to prevent scammers from exploiting the government's aid program. Mayor Khymer Olaso has established the one-stop shop at the old office of the Business Permits and Licensing Division at City Hall, staffed by personnel from the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO), City Treasurer's Office (CTO), and City Accountant's Office (CAO) to facilitate the processing and release of assistance for qualified beneficiaries. Olaso emphasized the need to quickly and compassionately support families facing loss, making it easier for them to obtain necessary government aid during tough times.

According to Philippines News Agency, Socorro Rojas, CSWDO chief, said that previously, it took one to two months for the burial assistance to be released due to the lengthy process, as the bereaved family had to visit separate offices. 'This is why the one-stop shop was established with personnel from CSWDO, CTO, and CAO in one place to hasten the release of the burial aid,' Rojas said in a press conference on Wednesday. The burial assistance totals PHP12,000. The initiative also aims to prevent scammers from taking advantage of the city government's burial aid program.

Celso Lobregat, chief of staff of the mayor's office and concurrent mayor's secretary, said they uncovered a scheme in which scammers processed fake documents to request burial aid at the expense of bereaved families. Lobregat said most of the scammers' victims are Muslims, whose deceased family members should be buried immediately in accordance with Islamic tradition. Lobregat said the PHP12,000 burial assistance is given in full directly if the deceased is a Muslim, while for Christians, PHP8,000 is given to the funeral parlor to cover part of the expenses and the remaining PHP4,000 to the bereaved family.

Rojas said they have so far filed 11 cases against scammers, but unfortunately, these were dismissed for lack of prima facie evidence. Olaso said the city government's burial aid program has somehow become a business opportunity for some unscrupulous people, which is why the one-stop-shop system was adopted.