House OKs bill institutionalizing AICS aid program

House of Representatives.

MANILA, Philippines — A bill that seeks to institutionalize the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS), a government program where financial and medical assistance among others are given to those in need, has been approved by the House of Representatives on third and final reading.

During the House session late Wednesday night, House Bill (HB) No. 11395 or the proposed Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations Act was approved after 176 lawmakers present voted in the affirmative, with no negative votes or abstentions.

If enacted, the AICS will no longer be an initiative of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), but a program that would regularly get allocations in the annual budget.

This, the bill stated, would allow the government, particularly the DSWD, to respond to the needs of people in crisis situations like calamities, financial problems, health crises, educational concerns, and others.

“To effectively respond to the individuals in crisis situation, each qualified target beneficiary shall receive financial, medical, transportation, food, material assistance, and other assistance, to include disability support services including other professional assistance available in the DSWD, such as psychosocial support or intervention for dysfunctional families and their children who need trauma care and management, and legal consultation, based on the assessment of the social workers of the DSWD,” the bill read.

Under the measure, the following will be the types of assistance that falls under AICS:

• Financial assistance
• Material assistance
• Psychosocial support service
• Referral service
• Other services that the DSWD may deem appropriate

“In order to fully meet the medical needs of individuals in crisis situations, particularly persons with disabilities or people with special needs.  The DOH (Department of Health) may provide the initial costing per type of disability for the effective assessment of social workers of the DSWD,” the bill stated.

“Appropriate documentation as provided for in the DSWD AICS Guidelines shall support all disbursements of funds. The DSWD may provide additional assistance or discontinue existing ones as it may deem appropriate,” it added.

According to the proposed measure, officials or employees of local government units (LGUs), along with their representatives and relatives within the fourth civil degree, to interfere with the implementation of the AICS.

“It shall be unlawful for the officials or employees of LGUs, their agents, representatives or relatives within the fourth civil degree of consanguinity or affinity to interfere, in any manner, in the implementation or delivery of AICS services or funds to qualified beneficiaries,” the bill read.

The following acts will also be considered unlawful:

• Defraud the government by issuing or presenting falsified or misleading documents, or using false pretenses or other fraudulent acts to acquire the assistance provided under this Act
• Coerce, invite, encourage or assist persons to seek assistance from the DSWD for purposes of acquiring from the beneficiary a portion of the assistance, before or after the receipt of assistance
• Mislead an individual or group to join, pay or cooperate with a group falsely representing connection or affiliation with DSWD or falsely promising priority in the processing of assistance

This isnot the first time that a DSWD program was institutionalized into a regular program of the government.  In 2019, former president Rodrigo Duterte signed into law a bill that seeks to institutionalize the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), a conditional cash transfer program that aims to lift Filipino families out of poverty.

READ: Duterte signs 4Ps law 

Despite these interventions, poverty incidence is still high, with many Filipinos rating themselves self-poor according to surveys.  Last January 9, 63 percent of Filipinos considered themselves poor according to a Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey — which is highest since 2023 or during the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

READ: SWS: Self-rated poverty at 63%, highest since 2003 

A Commission on Audit report released in 2022 also noted that 90 percent of families supported by the 4Ps are still poor. /jpv