The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Sunday confirmed that the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) will serve the clients of the now-defunded Ayuda sa Kapos ang Kita Program (AKAP) with a budget allocation of PHP63.8 billion for 2026.
In a Facebook post, Director Edwin Morata of the DSWD Crisis Intervention Program (CIP) said there is sufficient AICS budget to serve former AKAP clients, including the issuance of guarantee letters (GLs) for qualified beneficiaries.
“These 3.9 million [people] will be part of the AICS this year. Of course, they are all also undergoing a crisis. For example, they are taking medicines, they’ve been hospitalized. So kapag inalis sila, baka sabihin nila na wala na silang mapupuntahan (So if they are removed, they might say there will be nowhere else to go). But rest assured, AICS is still there,” Morata said, as quoted in an interview with DZMM’s “Serbisyong DSWD for Every Juan.”
The AKAP was implemented as a two-year program in 2024 and assisted 3.9 million Filipinos in 2025 alone.
Morata said beneficiaries in need previously covered by the AKAP can be accommodated under the AICS.
For 2025, AKAP disbursed PHP24 billion nationwide, targeting low-income earners. The program covered medical and burial assistance, transportation and food assistance, including the issuance of GLs.
“We partnered it under AICS to ensure that the right services are being provided to the right person, and for the right purpose,” Morata said.
“When we tried to understand some of the people, or maybe this is a culture to some Filipinos, kapag binigyan mo sila ng pera, hindi nila ito nagagamit sa tamang purpose. Sometimes may mga bills sila na need i-settle, and ‘yung maiiwan, ‘yun na lang ‘yung nagagamit nila (when you give them money, they fail to use it for the right purpose. Sometimes there are bills they need to settle, and what remains would be all) for their needs,” Morata said.
The AICS program previously relied heavily on cash assistance, with amounts based on the assessment by social workers. But the outright cash aid was sometimes diverted to expenses unrelated to the intended crisis intervention.
The use of the GL ensures that the requested assistance is spent strictly for its approved purposes.
The DSWDD has expanded partnerships with private hospitals, therapy centers, implant providers, pharmacies with specialized drugs, supermarkets, and transportation companies.
Qualified applicants must have a triggering circumstance, like hospitalization and other critical medical procedures, and must coordinate with the CIP office for assessment.
Patients are not required to appear personally as relatives may submit documents on behalf of patients.
The maximum amount covered by a GL is up to PHP150,000, while cases assessed as grave by social workers may be given a higher amount based on the situation and need.
The AICS program, to include the issuance of GLs, can be availed of by individuals experiencing crisis, regardless of income level.
Morata also assured the public that GLs are insulated from political influence.
He said DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian directed the strict enforcement of non-partisanship during off-site cash payouts. (PNA)