The Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD)’s Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS) is one of the department’s programs to improve the quality of life of Filipinos, particularly the poor, vulnerable, and disadvantaged.

Beginning in 2014, the AICS served as a social safety net or stop-gap measure to support the recovery of individuals and families suffering from unexpected life events or crises. The assistance has three types: (1) Financial and Material, (2) Psychosocial, and (3) Referral to Other Services. Under Financial and Material categories are the following: (a) transportation, (b) medical, (c) funeral, (d) educational, (e) food, and (f) cash relief assistance.

In 2022, Memorandum Circular No. 16, or the Revised Guidelines on the Implementation of Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations, was released to streamline the availment of assistance.

Build Better More Satellite Offices for Beneficiaries

In 2022, the DSWD facilitated the request for various types of assistance from millions of individuals who experienced unexpected crises such as illness or death of a family member, natural and human-induced disasters, and other emergencies. In connection with this, the beneficiaries mostly availed of psychosocial assistance, followed by food and other cash assistance. A substantial number of clients, meanwhile, requested medical support, according to DSWD.

From July to December 2022, which covered the first six months of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., a record number of 5,336,381 clients were served by the program with the following breakdown per region:

According to the DSWD, the number of clients served by the AICS program in 2022 is the highest accomplishment in the past five years. Previously, the average number of served clients from 2018 to 2022 was only 2.4 million per year. The increased number of clients served resulted from the streamlined delivery process, as directed by PBBM during his first State of the Nation Address (SONA) in July 2022.

DSWD established satellite offices in 2023 to reach a more significant number of the population who need assistance, particularly Quezon City in March; Caloocan and Baclaran, Pasay in April; and San Jose del Monte (SJDM), Bulacan in May; and Pasig City in June.

“This initiative is one way of decongesting our existing AICS payout areas and delivering services under AICS directly to our clients from the different parts of Metro Manila and nearby provinces,” DSWD Assistant Secretary Uly Aguilar said.

DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian, on the other hand, said that the DSWD equally supports the city government’s goal of assisting its constituents and bringing the Department closer to people.

“Alam namin na kapag hihingi kayo [mamamayan] ng tulong sa DSWD, lumuluwas pa kayo papunta sa Central Office sa Batasan, magastos, malayo kaya naisip namin na maglagay tayo dito sa SJDM [ng satellite office] (We know that you had to commute to Central Office in Batasan when you need to request for assistance. It is far and costly, so we thought putting up a satellite office in San Jose is the best remedy),” Sec. Gatchalian added.

Among the first clients of the newly-opened processing center was Geraldine Valmoria, a cancer patient and a resident of SJDM who expressed gratitude for the opening of the satellite office near her after she recalled having difficulties going to the DSWD Central Office.

“Kaming mga patient na may cancer, hirap na hirap kasi nagugutuman kami, nagche-chemo pa kami. Ngayong may malapit na office hindi na kami mahihirapan” (For cancer patients like us, it is very difficult because we get hungry as we are undergoing chemotherapy. With the satellite office, it is now more convenient for us),” Valmoria said.

As a result of having satellite offices in Bulacan, the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) – Region 3 reported around 1,000 individuals from Sta. Maria received Php 3,000.00 in financial assistance in March, around 1000 from Malolos in April, around 3,000 from San Ildefonso in May, around 1,000 from San Rafael, and 1,465 from Meycauayan in June.

For 2023, the DSWD has already recorded a client volume of more than 1.8 million from January to June, significantly higher than in 2022.

Furthermore, various PIA regional offices reported that the AICS was extended nationwide during the third and fourth quarters of 2023: 2,836 beneficiaries from Batangas, 977 from Nueva Ecija, and 266 from Pampanga in July, 168 and 188 from Oriental Mindoro in August.

For September, PIA and DSWD reported that 1,604 beneficiaries were from Aurora, 333 from Oriental Mindoro, 48,018 from Leyte, 26,353 from Ilocos Norte, 12,264 from Camarines Sur, and 11,457 from Davao de Oro. For October, around 140 came from Oriental Mindoro, 600 from Romblon, and 1,430 from Misamis Occidental. An additional 2,000 individuals benefited from Misamis Occidental in December.

In total, the DSWD reported that 6,587,667 Filipinos facing difficult circumstances were provided with AICS from January to December 2023, with the following breakdown per region:

The DSWD reported that the number of clients served under the AICS in 2023 is more than four times the program’s annual target of 1,691,869 beneficiaries.

Meanwhile, from January to September 2024 (first to the third quarter), the AICS has 5,587 446 beneficiaries nationwide, with the following DSWD’s breakdown per region:

Messages from Beneficiaries and the Institutionalization of AICS

The PIA regional offices’ correspondents also interviewed some individuals in crisis situations who were assisted, and they sent messages of thanks to PBBM.

“Unexpected kini na ayuda [AICS] and this my first time to receive it. I feel happy kay makatabang sab namo. Thankful mi na gitagaan mi pagtagad ni President Marcos, sa nangaging panahon wala mi kadawat ingon niani (This assistance is unexpected for me as this is my first time to receive it. I feel happy because this will help us financially. We are thankful to President Marcos for giving us attention. In the past, we have not received anything like this),” said Raymunda Visagas, 61, a person with disability (PWD) from Negros Oriental.

“I have four kids in school. Sa kalisud karon dakong na kining ikatabang (with life being hard lately, this assistance will help us a lot),” said Gomer Areglado, 57, a parent from Negros Oriental.

“Nagpapasalamat po ako sa tulong pinansyal [AICS] na ipinagkaloob sa akin ng pamahalaan na makatutulong sa akin para pandagdag sa pambili ng mga gamit sa pangingisda (I’m thankful for the assistance given to me by the government. I can use this to buy fishing equipment),” said Samuel Pielago from Marinduque.

“This educational assistance [under AICS] is beneficial to students [like me]. I will use the assistance for my school needs,” said Chris Jovan Herreria, 20, from La Union.

PBBM, on the other hand, said during the distribution of AICS in Nabua, Camarines Sur in September 2023 that “Magkakahiwalay man ang ating mga isla, pinagbubuklod-buklod naman tayo ng isang diwa at isang pangarap: isang Bagong Pilipinas para sa Bagong Pilipino (Our islands may be detached from one another, but we are united by one spirit and one dream – a new Philippines for the new Filipino).”

To achieve this through the AICS, there have already been bills filed in the House of Representatives for its institutionalization. If this comes to pass, the program will not only prioritize the poor households, but middle-class individuals or families can also receive AICS aid if they suffer from substantial financial strain in a crisis.

In addition, Crisis Intervention Offices will also be established in the welfare authority’s central and field offices and in its Social Welfare and Development Satellite Offices if the program becomes law. With this development, the current administration can help individuals in crisis situations within the PBBM’s term and beyond. (PIA)