Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Gatchalian on Saturday (November 23) assured the public that the agency’s major protective services programs — the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) and the Ayuda para sa Kapos ang Kita Program (AKAP) – have benefitted a large number of poor Filipinos.

“Let me reiterate that all the DSWD’s Field Offices across the country serve people in need, whether they are walk-in clients or were referred to by local government unit (LGU) officials. The DSWD continues to process applications and distribute assistance through AICS and AKAP to qualified beneficiaries,” Secretary Gatchalian said as he dismissed claims by some quarters that AICS and AKAP were allegedly being used for political purposes, including “vote buying.”

Secretary Gatchalian pointed out that the DSWD applies a stringent verification and validation process for clients who seek financial assistance, even for referrals from legislators and other LGU officials.

“The assessment being done by our licensed social workers is critical to avoid the overlapping of assistance with the other DSWD programs,” Secretary Gatchalian said.

While the DSWD actively coordinates with LGU executives and officials to organize payout activities, the funding for AKAP and AICS come from the agency’s budget as provided under the General Appropriations Act or GAA.

There is no GAA line item that entitles any congressional district or LGU to have an allocation in any amount and lodged this with the DSWD that could benefit their constituents. Referrals from legislators and local executives are entertained pursuant to existing DSWD guidelines.

More than 6.5 million Filipinos facing difficult circumstances were provided by the DSWD with aid amounting to Php40.9 billion through the AICS program from January to December 2023.

The amount of assistance released under the AICS program in 2023 represented a 98.5% utilization of the fund worth over P41.5 million.

The number of clients served under the AICS in 2023 is more than four times the program’s annual total target of 1,691,869 beneficiaries who are in need of assistance such as transportation medical, burial, transportation, education, food and other support services for Filipinos undergoing a crisis, in accidents, or severe poverty.

More than 4 million ‘near poor’ Filipinos, on the other hand, have benefitted from the AKAP during its first year of implementation from January to October 2024.

The AKAP program has demonstrated strong impact with P20.7 billion in funds, or 77.57 percent, already utilized out of the total P26.7 billion budget allocation.

The AKAP funds were allocated across all regions, with most areas achieving over 70 percent in fund obligations, like Regions 3 (Central Luzon), 5 (Bicol), and 6 (Western Visayas). The National Capital Region (NCR) alone provided assistance to over 589,000 beneficiaries, showing the scale and reach of the program’s impact.

The AKAP provides a one-time cash assistance between P3,000 to P5,000 to eligible beneficiaries. To qualify, families must have an income that falls below the poverty threshold and must not be receiving assistance from other government programs.#

Tagalog Version

AICS at AKAP, malaking tulong sa mahihirap na Pinoy; 2 programa, walang bahid-pulitika ayon sa DSWD chief

Tiniyak ni Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian na lahat ng pangunahing programa ng ahensya ay nagbibigay ng serbisyo at pagtulong sa mga kapuspalad.

Kasabay nito, sinabi ng DSWD chief na marami sa mga mahihirap na Pilipino ang nabiyayaan o nakatanggap ng benepisyo sa mga programa ng ahensya partikular na ang Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) at Ayuda para sa Kapos ang Kita Program (AKAP).

“Let me reiterate that all the DSWD’s Field Offices across the country serve people in need, whether they are walk-in clients or were referred to by local government unit (LGU) officials. The DSWD continues to process applications and distribute assistance through AICS and AKAP to qualified beneficiaries,” sabi ni Secretary Gatchalian.

Mariing pinabulaanan din ng DSWD chief ang umano’y nagagamit ang AICS at AKAP sa mga pampulitukal na hangarin kabilang na rito ang umano’y “vote buying.”

Ayon pa sa Kalihim, dumadaan sa masinsing validation at verification ang mga beneficiaries na nagnanais na mapabilang sa nabibigyan ng tulong, gayundin ng mga referrals mula sa mga mambabatas at LGU officials.

“The assessment being done by our licensed social workers is critical to avoid the overlapping of assistance with the other DSWD programs,” sabi pa ni Secretary Gatchalian.

Sa kabila ng maayos na koordinasyon ng ahensya at lokal na pamahalaan kaugnay ng mga payout activities, ang pondo ng AKAP at AICS ay kapwa nagmumula sa budget ng ahensya sa ilalim ng General Appropriations Act or GAA.

Wala aniyang GAA line item na nagbibigay karapatan sa congressional district o LGU na magkaroon ng alokasyon at ilagay ito sa DSWD na magbebenipisyo ang kanilang mga nasasakupan.

Ang referrals mula sa mga mambabatas at local executives ay pinapayagan base sa existing DSWD guidelines.

Mahigit sa 6.5 million na Pilipino na pawang humaharap sa hirap ng buhay ang natulungan ng DSWD na umabot sa halagang Php40.9 billion sa ilalim ng AICS program mula January hanggang December 2023.

Ang halaga ng tulong na inilabas sa AICS program noong 2023 ay umabot sa 98.5% fund utilization na nagkakahalaga ng higit P41.5 million.

Umabot naman sa higit apat na beses na katumbas ng annual total target of beneficiaries na 1,691,869 ang nabigyan ng tulong ng AICS para sa 2023.

Kabilang sa mga tulong na naipaabot ng DSWD sa ilalim ng programa ng AICS ang transportation medical, burial, transportation, education, food at iba pang support services.

Mahigit naman sa 4 million ‘near poor’ Filipinos, ang iniulat na nagbenepisyo sa programa ng AKAP mula ng simulan ito ng January hanggang October 2024.

Ang AKAP ay nagbibigay ng one-time cash assistance mula P3,000 to P5,000 sa mga eligible beneficiaries. Para makatanggap ng tulong ang mga qualified families ay kailangang sumasahod ng mas mababa sa minimum wage at hindi nakatatanggap ng kahit na anong tulong mula sa iba pang government programs.# (MVC)