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Republic of the Philippines 
House of Representatives 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
Twentieth Congress 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. 2963 
Introduced by Representatives Yedda Marie K. Romualdez, Andrew Julian 
K. Romualdez and Jude A. Acidre
AN ACT 
INSTITUTIONALIZING THE ASSISTANCE TO INDIVIDUALS IN CRISIS 
SITUATIONS PROGRAM OF THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL 
WELFARE AND DEVELOPMENT, PROVIDING PENALTIES FOR THE 
VIOLATION OF CERTAIN UNLAWFUL ACTS, AND APPROPRIATING 
FUNDS THEREFOR 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The 1987 Constitution mandates the State to "free the people from poverty 
through policies that provide adequate social services." To uphold this, this bill seeks 
to institutionalize the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) Program 
of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). 
AICS is a social safety net or stop-gap measure to support the recovery of 
individuals and families who are indigent, vulnerable, disadvantaged or are 
otherwise in crisis situations. It provides psychosocial intervention; direct financial 
or material assistance which enables such individuals and families to meet their basic 
needs in the form of food, transportation, medical, educational, or burial assistance; 
and referral to other services of other national government agencies. 
August 4, 2025
5:00 pm


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For this purpose, this bill seeks to institute a permanent program under the 
DSWD to enhance the existing program and continue providing immediate relief to 
marginalized and indigent individuals and families. 
This bill was originally filed by Representative Stella Luz A. Quimbo, Rep. 
Rosemarie Panotes, Rep. Yedda Marie K. Romualdez, and Rep. Jude A. Acidre in 
the Nineteenth Congress, where it was approved on third and final reading by the 
House of Representatives.  
In view of the foregoing, the approval of this bill is earnestly sought. 
YEDDA MARIE K. ROMUALDEZ 
ANDREW JULIAN K.  ROMUALDEZ 
JUDE A. ACIDRE 


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Republic of the Philippines 
House of Representatives 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
Twentieth Congress 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. 2963 
Introduced by Representatives Yedda Marie K. Romualdez, Andrew Julian 
K. Romualdez and Jude A. Acidre
AN ACT 
INSTITUTIONALIZING THE ASSISTANCE TO INDIVIDUALS IN CRISIS 
SITUATIONS PROGRAM OF THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL 
WELFARE AND DEVELOPMENT, PROVIDING PENALTIES FOR THE 
VIOLATION OF CERTAIN UNLAWFUL ACTS, AND APPROPRIATING 
FUNDS THEREFOR 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines 
in Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title. – This Act shall be known as the “Assistance to 
Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS) Act.” 
SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. – It is the policy of the State to promote a just 
and dynamic social order alleviating the plight of the poor through policies that 
provide adequate social services and raise the standard of living for the improved 


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quality of life for all. To this end, the State shall provide assistance through projects, 
programs and services geared towards alleviating poverty and improving the quality 
of life of every Filipino, especially the marginalized sector, and disadvantaged 
individuals and families. 
 
SEC. 3. Definition of Terms. – As used in this Act: 
 
(a) Assistive technology refers to “assistive products” whose primary purpose 
is to increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of persons 
with disabilities, to enhance overall well-being and help prevent 
impairments and secondary health conditions. These include wheelchairs, 
prostheses, hearing aids, visual aids, and specialized computer software 
and hardware, or any advancement in technologies that increase mobility, 
hearing, vision, or communication capacities;  
 
(b) Case management refers to a process of assessing, planning, managing, 
coordinating and advocating for services and other interventions used by 
the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to improve 
the capability of qualified beneficiaries in addressing their needs;  
 
(c) Cash relief assistance refers to an outright cash provided to individuals 
and families that are currently in extremely difficult circumstances such 
as victims of calamities/disasters, crimes, victims of violence against 
women and their children, trafficking and repatriated overseas Filipino 
workers and other similar circumstances; 
 


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(d) Crisis situation refers to a condition of an individual in a stressful situation 
that impairs psychosocial functioning or participation in socio - economic 
activities, including access to education, work, and health care, that 
requires series of interventions to prevent further exposure to 
vulnerabilities, exploitation or abuse; 
 
(e) Disability support assistance refers to the monetary support to cover the 
purchase of assistive products, technologies, provision of sign language 
interpreter, personal assistant, maintenance medicines and hygiene needs, 
life support equipment, and other needs of persons with disabilities; 
 
(f) Educational assistance refers to financial assistance extended to all 
students to help defray school expenses and/or cost of sending 
students/children to school such as school fees augmentation, supplies, 
projects, allowance and other related expenses and to eradicate barriers to 
quality education, including those barriers faced by persons on account of 
their disabilities;   
 
(g) Financial assistance refers to monetary support in the form of outright 
cash, electronic fund transfer, guarantee letter, coupon, check or voucher 
that has monetary value, including funeral assistance, transportation 
assistance, medical assistance, educational assistance, training assistance, 
food assistance, cash relief assistance, and all other types of cash 
assistance 
that 
may 
be 
provided 
under  
the Program; 
 


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(h) Food assistance refers to assistance to those in need due to human-induced 
and natural calamities and those experiencing other forms of crisis or 
displacement, eviction, demolitions or requiring interventions for sector-
specific support which include hot meals, food or meal allowance, or the 
cash equivalent of the required hot meals and/or food packs; 
 
(i) Funeral assistance refers to assistance to help defray funeral and related 
expenses such as transfer of cadaver, burial site, and other related 
expenses incurred by the family of the deceased, with consideration to 
context, cultural, and religious backgrounds; 
 
(j) Guarantee letter refers to a document duly approved and issued by the 
DSWD, which ensures the payment of the amount appearing on the 
document, that the beneficiary presents to any public or government 
owned or controlled hospitals or other institutions and to any similar 
private entity that is willing to provide services; 
 
(k) Material and other in-kind assistance refers to an assistance given to 
individuals in crisis by providing them food and non-food items, non-
financial, and the likes, and may also include other professional assistance 
available in the DSWD, such as psycho-social support and legal 
consultation; 
 
(l) Medical assistance refers to out-of-pocket expense in the form of coupon, 
stub, guarantee letter, promissory note or voucher that has monetary value, 
given directly to recipients or beneficiaries to pay for hospitalization 


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expenses, other medical treatments or procedures, and which include 
birthing procedure, as well as professional fees and consultation fees, 
purchase of drugs, medicines, goods or other services prescribed by the 
physician 
of 
a 
health 
facility 
for 
in- 
and  
out-patients; 
 
(m) Persons with disabilities refer to those who have long-term physical, 
mental, intellectual or sensory impairments that hinder their full and 
effective participation in society on an equal basis with others, including 
cancer patients and persons living with cancer and cancer survivors under 
Republic Act No. 11215, otherwise known as the “National Integrated 
Cancer Control Act” and persons with rare disease under Republic Act 
No. 10747, otherwise known as the “Rare Diseases Act of  
the Philippines”; 
 
(n) Target beneficiaries refer to individuals or families who are indigent, 
financially incapacitated, stateless persons, repatriates, deportees, 
transients, vulnerable, disadvantaged, or internally displaced persons or in 
crisis situations based on the assessment of the social workers of the 
DSWD; and 
 
(o) Transportation assistance refers to the monetary support to cover the 
actual cost incurred on land, sea, and air travel, including travel insurance 
and such other related expenses as facilitated by the social workers of the 
DSWD. 
 


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SEC. 4. Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS). – 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. 
 
SEC. 5. Types of Assistance. – The following are the types of assistance that 
the target beneficiaries may receive under the Program based on the assessment and 
recommendation of the social workers, authorized personnel, or any other personnel 
authorized by the DSWD, duly approved by their authorized officials:  
 
(a) Financial assistance – as defined in Section 3, paragraph (g); 
 
(b) Material assistance – a service providing food and non-food items to 
clients who need immediate material support, such as food packs or 
vouchers, hygiene or sleeping kits and assistive devices and technologies, 
subject to its availability;  
 
(c) Psychosocial support service – a service provided by trained or 
professional psychosocial support workers to help meet the psychological, 
emotional, and social needs of beneficiaries and their families. It is a set of 
interventions that intends to positively improve a person’s behavior to 


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reduce the impact of stress brought about by a crisis through behavioral 
modification interventions; 
 
(d) Referral service – a service provided when the requested support is not 
within the range of services of the Program through coordination and/or 
endorsement of the beneficiary’s case within the DSWD’s available 
programs, projects and services and to other agencies such as to the 
Department of Education, Commission on Higher Education, Technical 
Education and Skills Development Authority, Department of Health 
(DOH), Public Attorney’s Office, Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, 
Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation, local government units 
(LGUs) and other government agencies, civil society organizations, and 
international/non-government organizations;  and 
 
(e) Such 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 may 
provide the initial costing per type of disability for the effective assessment of social 
workers of the DSWD. 
 
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.  
 


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SEC. 6. Modes of Delivery of Services. – The DSWD shall adopt different 
modes in order to deliver efficiently, expeditiously and effectively the financial or 
material assistance, psychosocial support, and referral service to the clients and 
communities needing assistance from the government such as the following:  
 
(a) Service delivery within the Central or Field Offices; 
(b) Setting up of an off-site or satellite venues; and  
(c) Extension office of the DSWD for the Program.  
 
Provided, That the DSWD shall procure and/or construct a secure office 
system, information and communication technology equipment, and all necessary 
capital outlay expenditures such as vehicles, and vaults, among others, needed to 
efficiently and effectively implement the Program.  
 
Provided, further, That the DSWD may also establish an automated system 
for processing and releasing the requested assistance. For this purpose, the 
appropriations needed for the payment of the necessary cash-out fees or other service 
fees charged by partner financial institutions shall form part of the DSWD annual 
budget under the General Appropriations Act.  
 
SEC. 7. Integrated Program Delivery System. – To improve the delivery of 
service to the eligible beneficiaries under the Program, there shall be an established 
Integrated Program Delivery System.   
 
In keeping with the principle of equitable access, and ensuring that access to 
the AICS is maximized, a mechanism for real-time data sharing between the DSWD 


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and the LGUs shall be institutionalized, subject to the statutory limitations under the 
Data Privacy Act of 2012. Under this mechanism, concerned agencies such as the 
Philippine Statistics Authority, DOH-Malasakit Centers, and LGUs may share 
information from a centralized database in order to identify the assistance given to 
the Program’s eligible beneficiary, for purposes of assistance augmentation and to 
prevent a possible abuse of the assistance given to those in crisis situations. 
 
SEC. 8. Crisis Intervention Office/Division/Unit. – To ensure effective and 
efficient delivery of services to the clients, there shall exist a Crisis Intervention 
Office (CIO) at the Central Office, Crisis Intervention Divisions at the field offices, 
and Crisis Intervention Units at the Social Welfare and Development satellite offices 
of the DSWD that shall ensure that the Program, as enterprise information system, 
provided herein, is properly implemented, monitored, and evaluated nationwide. The 
office shall monitor and evaluate the implementation of AICS Program and prepare 
the monitoring and evaluation report for submission to the Secretary of the DSWD.  
The monitoring and evaluation report must be available and accessible to any 
stakeholder at the national, regional, and local levels.  
 
SEC. 9. Personnel Complement. – The Secretary of the DSWD, in 
coordination with the CIO Director at the Central Office and Regional Offices, shall 
determine the additional positions required for the implementation of the program 
in accordance with the revised compensation and position classification system 
subject to the evaluation and approval of the Department of Budget and Management 
and in compliance with the civil service laws, rules and regulations, and other 
pertinent laws.  


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SEC. 10. Program Monitoring and Evaluation. – The DSWD shall conduct 
monitoring and evaluation to assess the responsiveness of the Program through the 
use of applicable indicators, frameworks, models, and tools, including a 
client/stakeholder’s feedback mechanism, among others, and the establishment of 
standard reporting templates and procedures in consonance to applicable laws, rules, 
and regulations.  
 
SEC. 11. Program Transparency and Reporting. – The DSWD shall 
annually publish a full report of the Program covering the implementation of the 
previous fiscal year and/or timely post and update periodically on the DSWD 
website a report of financial disclosures and information about beneficiaries based 
on geographical area and sectoral category subject to the provisions of Republic Act 
No. 10173, or the “Data Privacy Act of 2012.” 
 
SEC. 12. Unlawful Acts.  – 
(a) 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; 
  
(b) Likewise, it shall be unlawful for any individual or organization to commit 
the following acts:  
 
(i) 
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;  


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(ii) 
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; 
 
(iii) 
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. 
 
SEC. 13. Penalties. – 
 
(a) Any of the specified person who committed the unlawful act under Section 
13 (a) of this Act shall be punished by imprisonment of six (6) months. If 
the offender is an official or employee of a LGU, the official or employee 
shall also be held administratively liable;  
 
(b) Any person, group or organization who commit the unlawful acts under 
Section 13 (b) of this Act shall be punished by:  
 
(i) 
For the First Offense- one (1) year suspension from availing any 
assistance from the DSWD; and  
 
(ii) 
For the Second Offense – imprisonment of not less than one (1) year 
but not more than six (6) years. 
 


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If the offender is an organization, the president, manager, or any officer of the 
organization who participated in the commission of the acts enumerated above or 
benefited therefrom, or both, shall be held liable and shall be punished by 
imprisonment of not less than six (6) years but not more than ten (10) years. This is 
without prejudice to any action against the organization or corporation before 
appropriate government agency.  
 
Conspiracy to commit the foregoing unlawful acts shall be penalized by the 
same penalty prescribed under this Section.  
 
In all circumstances, the government shall be authorized to prosecute or to file 
cases on behalf of the private individual defrauded and damaged by the 
aforementioned acts.  
 
Any person who was coerced, invited, encouraged or misled while 
committing the crimes above, or any person who has witnessed or has knowledge or 
information on the commission of the crime and has testified or is testifying or about 
to testify before any judicial or quasi-judicial body, or before any investigating 
authority, may be admitted into the witness protection program:  Provided, That to 
become a state witness for this crime, the said person shall not be the most guilty. 
  
A public official or personnel who commits, abets, or aids in the commission 
of any of the Unlawful Acts provided herein shall be liable under the Revised Penal 
Code and other existing penal laws. Administrative sanctions shall be imposed 
without prejudice to prosecution in the proper courts.  
 


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SEC. 14. Cash Equivalents. – It shall be mandatory for any public or private 
entity that provides services under this Program to accept the guarantee letter, 
coupon, check or voucher issued by the DSWD as full or partial payment of the 
obligation of the qualified beneficiary.  
 
The DSWD must, within three (3) months from the date of acceptance, pay 
the public or private entity of the amount appearing on the guarantee letter, coupon, 
or voucher.  
 
SEC. 15. Joint Congressional Oversight Committee. – A congressional 
oversight committee is constituted to monitor, set the overall framework, and review 
the implementation of this Act.  The committee shall determine the inherent 
weaknesses in the law and recommend necessary remedial legislation or executive 
measures. 
 
The oversight committee is composed of five (5) Senators and five (5) 
Representatives to be appointed by the Senate President and the Speaker of the 
House of Representatives, respectively, and co-chaired by the Chairpersons of the 
Committee on Social Justice, Welfare and Rural Development of the Senate and the 
Committee on Social Services of the House of Representatives. The four (4) other 
members from the Senate and House of Representatives shall be composed of three 
(3) 
members 
from 
each 
of 
the 
aforementioned 
committees, 
and  
one (1) from the minority. 
 
For purposes of determining remedial legislation, the oversight committee 
shall, within two (2) years after the effectivity of this Act, conduct a review which 


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shall include a systematic evaluation of the impact of this Act, accomplishments of 
the program, and the performance of the implementing agencies. 
 
SEC. 16. Implementing Rules and Regulations. – Within six (6) months 
from the effectivity of this Act, the Secretary of the DSWD shall, in consultation 
with the Secretary of the DOH and the Commission on Audit, promulgate the 
necessary rules and regulations to carry out the provisions of this Act. 
 
SEC. 17. Appropriations. – The amount necessary for the initial 
implementation of this Act shall be charged against the current year’s appropriations 
of DSWD. Thereafter, such amount necessary for the continued implementation of 
this Act shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.  
 
SEC. 18. Separability Clause. – If any provision or part of this Act is held 
invalid or unconstitutional, the remaining parts or provisions not affected shall 
remain in full force and effect.   
 
SEC. 19. Repealing Clause. – All laws, presidential decrees or issuances, 
executive orders, letter of instructions, administrative orders, rules, and regulations 
or parts thereof contrary to or inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are 
amended, repealed, or modified accordingly. 
 
SEC. 20. Effectivity. – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. 
 
Approved,