Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City
NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session
HOuqsEB[Liir6..        6147
Introduced by: REP. RUTH MARIANO-HERNANDEZ
AN ACT
INSTITUTIONALIZING THE CRISIS INTERVENTION PROGRAM OF THE
DEPARTMENT oF SoCIAL WrELFARE AND DEVELoPMENT
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Social  protection  is  defined  as  the  set  of  policies  and  programs  designed  to  reduce
poverty and vulnerability by, among others, diminishing people's exposure to risks and
enhancing their capacity to protect themselves against hazards and interruption or loss
of income (Asian Development Bank, 2003).
One  of the  major  social  safety  nets  of the  national  government  is  the  Assistance  to
Individuals  in  Crisis  Situation  (AICS),  a  program  of the  Department of Social  Welfare
and   Development   Department   (DSWD)   aimed   at  providing  integrated   services   to
individuals and families in  crisis or difficult situations.  It is  further a social protection
strategy that grants  immediate  response  to  the  effects  of economic shocks and  other
adverse  circumstances  such  as  calamities,  illness,  or  death  of a  family  member.  The
program is geared to enable individuals, families, and communities to cope and recover
from  difficult situations,  and  restore  them  to  normalcy.  In  a  span  of five years,  from
2017  to  2022,  an  average  of  almost  50  percent  annual  increase  in  the  number  of
beneficiaries    is    observed,    through    a    corresponding    increase    also    in    funding
appropriations, with a near 10 million clients served by the AICS program.
On the other hand, almost 20 million Filipinos live below the poverty threshold in 2021
(Philippine Statistics Authority, August 2022). While the poverty incidence rose largely
due to health pandemic-induced economic slump, more Filipinos have been pushed into
destitution.
Through  the  institutionalization  of the  Crisis  Intervention  Program,  this  bill  seeks  to
reinforce the capacity of DSWD to implement the said program through the creation of a
Crisis  Intervention  Office  (CIO).  This  entails  the  enhancement  of  the  organizational
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structure  of  CIO  and  its  field  office  counterparts  and  also,  the  provision  of  regular
positions. Currently, 91.2 percent of the personnel implementing the AICS program are
under contracts of service while 5.46 percent are classified as job orders. A meager 2.28
percent  are  permanent  or  regular  employees.  Moreover,  an  enterprise  information
system shall also be designed to enable unified crossmatching of clients nationwide.
With the need to  strengthen and  institutionalize the Crisis  Intervention  Program as a
key driver for social development and as a social control mechanism, the urgent passage
of this bill is earnestly sought.
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Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City
NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session
•`    -`   A   -'
HOUSE BILL NO.
Introduced by: REP. RUTH MARIANO-HERNANDEZ
ANACT
INSTITUTIONALIZING THE CRISIS INTERVENTION PROGRAM OF THE
DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL WELFARE AND DEVELOPMENT
Be it epqcted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress
assembled..
Section  1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known  as the  "Crisis Intervention  Program
Act."
Section  2.  Declaration  of Policies and  Objectives.  -  It  is  the  poliey  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  quality  of life  for  all.  Towards  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 vulnerable,  marginalized
sector, and disadvantaged individuals, families, and communities.
Section 3. Definition of Terms.
a)   Beneficiary  refers  to  the  person  who  actually  needs  the  assistance  or  on
whose   behalf   the   assistance   is   being   sought   through    an   authorized
representative. The beneficiary is the ultimate recipient of the assistance.
b)   Client refers to any individual or group, who may be the beneficiary seeking
assistance, or his/her or the group's authorized representative, in case of the
beneficiary's inability to be physically present.
c)   Cross Matching refers to a  process  of counter-checking the information  or
data sets provided by the client who seeks assistance from DSWD.
d)   Case  Management  refers  to  a  process  in  which  the  Social  Workers  of a
DSWD office identify the problem of the client, assess and evaluate the need
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of the  client,  and  provide  the  necessary  intervention  within  the  scope  and
limitation of the program.
e)   Crisis Situation is a time in the individual's life when he/she experiences a
breakdown or disruption in his/her usual or normal daily activities or family
functioning.   Such   disruption   prevents   the   individual   from   adequately
performing  his/her  social  roles  and  functions  and  may  lead  him/her  into
worsened life situations.
f)    Institutionalization refers to the act of establishing the Crisis  Intervention
Program (CIP) as a major function of DSWD and a regular program funded by
its annual appropriation.
g)   Vulnerable,  Disadvantaged,  and Marginalized  refers to  an  individual  or
group   who   belongs  to   sectors   (e.g.   farmer/peasant,   artisanal   fisher folk,
cultural   communities,   women,   differently-abled   persons,   senior   citizens,
victims of calamities and disasters, youth and students, children, and urban
poor)  that have limited resources or opportunities in accessing health  care,
education,  justice  system,  and  other  basic  government  services,  and  those
who have high risk of exposure to or involvement in harmful practices such
as gender-based violence and other forms of discrimination.
h)   Poor refers to households whose income falls below the poverty threshold,
as defined by the National Economic and Development Authority, and cannot
afford  in  a  sustained  manner  their  minimum  basic  needs  of  food,  health,
education, housing, and other essential amenities of life.
Section 4. Crisis Intervention Program (GIP). The CIP is a comprehensive strategy of
the  national  government to  provide  immediate assistance to  individuals,  families,  and
communities facing crisis situations or difficulties, such as but not limited to, disasters
or  calamities,  in  order to  mitigate  its  impact on  their  economic stability and  provide
appropriate support for their recovery. Through this program, financial and/or material
assistance for food, non-food, medical, funeral, transportation, educational, psychosocial
intervention   or   other   assistance   for   support   services   are   distributed   to   eligible
beneficiaries by DSWD through the modes, as may be necessary and allowed.
Section  5. Eligible Beneficiaries. All individuals, groups, or communities who  are in
crisis  or  in  difficult  circumstances,  especially  those  who  are  poor,  marginalized,  or
disadvantaged.
Section  6.  Enterprise  Information  System.  The  DSWD,  in  coordination  with  the
Department  of  Information  and   Communication  Technology  (DICT)   and  Philippine
Statistics Authority  (PSA),  shall  establish  an  enterprise  information  system  (EIS)  that
would  enable  unified  cross  matching  of  clients  nationwide,  including  those  assisted
through  the  established  Malasakit  Centers  pursuant  to   Republic  Act  No.   11463  or
Malasakit  Centers  Act.  Pending  the  establishment  of an  EIS,  DSWD  may  continue  to
utilize its existing system.
Section  7.  Types  of Assistance.  The  CIP  shall  cover  the  following  different types  of
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financial assistance and/or material assistance through food, non-food, medical, funeral,
transportation  educational,  psychosocial  intervention,  or  other assistance  for support
services.
Section 8. Modes of Delivery of Services. The  DSWD  shall adopt different modes in
order to  efficiently,  expeditiously, and  effectively deliver psychosocial and financial  or
other material assistance to clients needing assistance from the government, such as but
not limited to the following:
a) Service  delivery within  DSWD  central  or field  offices  or in  other designated
areas for psychosocial intervention;
b) Setting up of an onsite or satellite venues for service delivery;
c)  Partnerships with  local  government units  (LGUs),  stakeholders,  and  service
providers.
Provi.bed,  That  the  DSWD  may  purchase  vehicles,  vault,  and  other  information  and
communication   technology   (ICT)   equipment   needed   to   efficiently   and   effectively
implement the program within or outside DSWD offices.
Provl.ded/Llrther, That the DSWD may establish an automated system of processing and
releasing the requested assistance. For this purpose, the appropriations for the payment
of necessary cash out fees or other service fees charged by partner financial institutions
for the automated processing and release of assistance shall be computed and requested
by DSWD as part of its annual budget.
Section 9. Lead Agency. The DSWD shall serve as the central planning, implementing,
coordinating,  and  monitoring body  of the  CIP  through  the  Crisis  Intervention  Office,
which  shall  also   coordinate  with  the  appropriate  government  agencies  to   ensure
implementation of Section 13 of this Act.
Section 10. Crisis Intervention Office (CIO). The CIO is hereby institutionalized in the
following DSWD offices for the proper and nationwide implementation of CIP:
a)       CIO (formerly crisis Intervention Division) atthe central office;
b)       Crisis Intervention Divisions atthe Field offices; and
c)       Crisis Intervention units at the social welfare and Development (SWAD)
Satellite Offices.
Section 11. Personnel Complement. The Crisis Intervention Office, Division, and Units
implementing  CIP  shall  be  adequately  manned  by  licensed  social  workers  and  other
support staff. The CIO Director at the central office and the regional directors in the field
offices  shall   assign   persons   necessary  for  the   effective   implementation   of  CIP,   in
accordance with the transitory provision of this Act.
Sectibn  12.  Program Transparency. The  DSWD  shall  timely post and  update  on  its
website  a  quarterly  report  of financial  disclosures  and  CIP  implementation  based  on
geographical  area  and  social  category.  It  is  herein  understood  that  the  report  and
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disclosures necessary for CIP implementation transparency shall be made in accordance
with Republic Act No.10173 or Data Privacy Act of 2012.
Section 13. Prohibited Acts. It shall be unlawful for any individual or organization to
commit the following acts:
a)      Defraud the government by issuing or presenting falsified documents, or
by  employing  false  pretenses  or  other  fraudulent  acts  to  acquire  any
assistance provided under this Act;
b)      Invite  or  encourage  persons  to  seek  CIP  assistance  for  the  purpose  of
acquiring or extorting from the beneficiary, against his/her will, a part or
portion of the assistance during the application process, or before or after
the receipt of assistance;
c)       Mislead an individual  or a 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.
Section 14. Penalties. Any person who commits any of the prohibited acts shall, after
due process, be penalized with the following:
a)     First Offense - the offender shall be given a warning and shall be barred
for a period of three (3) months from availing any CIP assistance;
b)     Second  Offense  -  the  offender  shall  be  barred  for  a  period  of  six  (6)
months from availing any CIP assistance;
c)     Third Offense - the  offender shall be barred for a period  of one  (1) year
from availing any CIP assistance;
d)     Fourth Offense -the offender shall be barred for a period of two (2) years
from  availing any  CIP  assistance.  The  fourth  time  offender  may also  be
prosecuted in accordance with applicable penal laws.
Any individual or organization who commits any of the prohibited acts as described in
paragraphs  b  and  c  of Section  13  shall  be  prosecuted  in  accordance  with  applicable
penal laws; Provz.ded, That if the offender is an organization, the president, manager, or
officer  thereof,  who   participated,  directly  or  indirectly,  in  the  commission   of  the
prohibited act shall also be prosecuted in accordance with applicable penal laws.
A finding of offense shall automatically forfeit the total amount of financial assistance, or
the equivalent thereof for other material assistance, in favor of DWSD; Provl.ded, That if
the assistance has already been released to the beneficiary, the amount of the financial
assistance, or the equivalent thereof for other material assistance, shall be refunded to
the DSWD.
Section    15.    Transitory    Provision.    The    CI0    shall    propose    the    appropriate
organizational  structure,  which  shall  be  replicated  at the regional and  SWAD  satellite
office levels, as may be applicable.
The  DSWD  shall  create  the  required  plantilla  and  staffing  pattern  necessary  for  the
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implementation   of  this  Act,   in   coordination  with   the   Department  of  Budget  and
Management (DBM)  and the Civil Service Commission (CSC). The DSWD shall include in
their  budgetary  submission  to  DBM  the  required  budget  for  personnel  services  and
miscellaneous  and  other  operating  expenses  (MO0E).  Such  budgetary  requirements
shall be included the General Appropriations Act (GAA).
Section 16. Appropriations. -The amount necessary to carry out the provisions of this
Act shall  be  charged  against those  authorized  in  the  current appropriations  of DSWD
and shall thereafter be included in the GAA for the succeeding years.
Section 17. Implementing Rules and Regulations. -Within ninety (90) days from the
effectivity  of this  Act,  the  DSWD  as  the  lead  agency,  together  with  the  appropriate
national government agencies, and in consultation with public and private stakeholders
representing the poor, marginalized, and vulnerable sectors of the society, as the DSWD
may   deem   necessary,   shall   promulgate   the   necessary   implementing   rules   and
regulations of this Act.
Section  18.  Separability  clause.  -  If any  part  or provision  of this Act shall  be  held
invalid  or unconstitutional, the  other parts  or provisions  hereof that are  not affected
thereby shall remain in full force and effect.
Section  19.  Repealing  Clause.  -  All  laws,  decrees,  issuances,  orders,  or  rules  and
regulations inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.
Section 20. Effectivity. -This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication
in the O/peci.cl/ Gcrzefte or in a newspaper of general circulation.
Approved,
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