NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE ) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES )
Third Regular Session 
)
SENATE 
Senate Bill No. 2968
.'vf'ii - ni ;
25 IAN 28 °6 '41
Rr.c i
Introduced by Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III
AN ACT
INSTITUTIONALIZING THE ASSISTANCE TO 
INDIVIDUALS IN CRISIS SITUATIONS (AICS) PROGRAM 
OF THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL WELFARE AND 
DEVELOPMENT (DSWD), PROVIDING PENALTIES FOR 
THE VIOLATION OF CERTAIN UNLAWFUL ACTS, AND 
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR
Our 1987 Constitution declares that the “State shall promote a 
just and dynamic social order that will ensure the prosperity and 
independence of the nation and free the people from poverty through 
policies that provide adequate social services, promote full 
employment, a rising standard of living, and an improved quality of life 
for all.”
The AICS or Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation 
(AICS) is a social welfare service by the DSWD. It serves as a social 
safety net or a stop-gap mechanism to support the recovery of 
individuals and families from unexpected crisis such as illness or death 
of a family member, and other crisis situations. Over the years, AICS 
become a lifeline for countless Filipinos facing calamities, health 
emergencies, or economic hardships.
To ensure its continuity and consistent implementation, the 
undersigned believes that the institutionalization of AICS would not 
only strengthen the government’s capacity to respond promptly to the 
needs of individuals in distress but would also serve as a concrete


manifestation of the State’s commitment to social justice and poverty 
alleviation.
In view of the foregoing, the passage of this measure is sought.
AQUIInNO “KOKO” PIMENTEL III


NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
Third Regular Session
)
SENATE 
Senate Bill No. 2968
25 JAN 28 :,6:41
Introduced by Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III
AN ACT
INSTITUTIONALIZING THE ASSISTANCE TO 
INDIVIDUALS IN CRISIS SITUATIONS PROGRAM OF THE 
DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL WELFARE AND 
DEVELOPMENT (DSWD), PROVIDING PENALTIES FOR 
THE VIOLATION OF CERTAIN UNLAWFUL ACTS, AND 
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR
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SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the 
“Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (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 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 marginalized sector, and 
disadvantaged individuals and families.
SEC. 3. Definition of Terms. - As used in this Act:
a. Assistive Devices and Technologies refer to those whose 
primary purpose is to increase, maintain, or improve the 
functional capabilities of persons with disabilities and to


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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. 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;
c. 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 enable qualified beneficiaries to 
improve their functioning by dealing with their difficulties in 
addressing their needs;
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 a 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 a 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


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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, assistance for other support services, and all other 
types of cash assistance that may be provided under the 
Program;
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. 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 entities and to any similar private entity that 
is willing to provide services;
J- Material and other in-kind assistance refers to an assistance 
given to individuals in crisis by providing them food and non­
food items, non-fmancial, and the likes, and may also include 
other professional assistance available in the DSWD, such as 
psycho-social support and legal consultation;
k. Medical assistance refers to out-of-pocket expense in the form 
of coupon, stub, guarantee letter, promissory note or voucher


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that has monetary value, given directly to recipients or 
beneficiaries to be used to pay for hospitalization expenses, 
other medical treatments or procedures which include birthing 
procedure, as well as professional fees and consultation fees, 
for the purchase of drugs, medicines, goods or other services 
prescribed by the physician of a health facility for in- and out­
patients;
I 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 “National Integrated Cancer 
Control Act” and persons with rare disease under Republic Act 
No. 10747, otherwise known as “Rare Diseases Act of the 
Philippines
m. 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
n. 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.
SEC. 4. Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS). - 
To effectively respond to the needs of the crisis, 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


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legal consultation, based on the assessment of the social workers of the
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DSWD.
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For purposes of this Act, the provision of medical assistance by 
the Department of Health (DOH) and its health facilities shall be 
harmonized with that being provided by the DSWD and other agencies. 
Towards this end. Republic Act No. 11463, also known as the 
Malasakit Centers Act, shall have a suppletory effect for purposes of 
streamlining the grant of medical and financial assistance to eligible 
beneficiaries at the Malasakit Centers, and to prevent duplication in 
providing medical assistance to beneficiaries in crisis situation.
SEC. 5. Type and Amount 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 - a service provided in the form of cash, 
guarantee letter, and other modes of delivery of service issued 
to qualified clients to cover medical, funeral, transportation, 
educational, food, and cash relief assistance;
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 reduce the impact of 
stress brought about by a crisis through behavioral 
modification interventions;


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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 (DepEd), Commission on Higher Education 
(CHED), Technical Education and Skills Development 
Authority (TESDA), Department of Health (DOH), Public 
Attorney’s Office (PAO), Philippine Charity Sweepstakes 
Office (PCSO), Philippine Amusement and Gaming 
Corporation (PAGCOR), local government units (LGUs) and 
other government agencies, civil service organizations, and 
intemational/non-govemment organizations; and
e) Such other services that the DSWD may deem appropriate.
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.
A social case study report is required of those whose assistance is 
higher than ten thousand pesos (P10,000.00).
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;


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b) Setting up of an off-site or satellite venues; and
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c) Extension office of the DSWD for the Program.
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Provided, that the DSWD shall procure and/or construct a secure
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office system, information and communication technology equipment,
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and all necessary capital outlay expenditures such as vehicles, and
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vaults, among others, needed to efficiently and effectively implement
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the Program.
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Provided further, 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. Prohibition Against Interference of Local Government 
Units in the Implementation or Delivery of AICS Services to the 
Qualified Beneficiaries. - It shall be unlawful for any official or 
employee of any local government unit, or their agent, representative, 
relative within the fourth civil degree of consanguinity or affinity, to 
interfere in the implementation or delivery of AICS services or funds 
to the qualified beneficiaries.
SEC. 8. 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 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 (PSA), DOH-Malasakit Centers, and LGUs may 
share information from a centralized database in order to identify the


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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 9. Crisis Intervention Office/Division/Unit (CIO/D/U). - 
To ensure effective and efficient delivery of services to the clients, 
there shall exist a Crisis Intervention Office (CIO) at the Central Office, 
and Crisis Intervention Divisions (CID) at the field offices, and Crisis 
Intervention Units (CIU) at the Social Welfare and Development 
satellite offices of the DSWD that will 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. 10. Personnel Complement - The CIO/D/U that 
implements the Program shall be adequately operated by licensed 
social workers and other social welfare and development workers. The 
CIO Director at the Central Office and the Regional Offices shall 
assign/hire qualified personnel necessary for the effective 
implementation of the Program in accordance with the civil service 
laws, rules and regulations.
The minimum personnel complement of CID and CIU are as 
follows:
a. Every Crisis Intervention Divisions (CID) at the field offices 
shall be headed by a Social Welfare Officer (SWO) with salary 
grade 18 and assisted by one (1) SWO II with salary grade 15, 
two (2) Social Welfare Assistant (SWA) with salary grade 8, 
and four (4) Social Welfare Aide (SWA) with salary grade 4; 
and


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b. Every Social Welfare and Development satellite offices of the 
DSWD shall be headed by SWO II with salary grade 15 and 
assisted by two (2) SWO I with salary grade 11, one (1) SWA 
with salary grade 8, and two (2) SWA with salary grade 4.
For this purpose, appropriate organizational structure shall be 
developed and established at the level of the DSWD Central and Field 
Offices, and Social Welfare and Development Satellite Offices.
Further, the DSWD is hereby authorized to create the required 
plantilla and staffing pattern necessary for the 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 the DBM the required budget 
for personnel services (PS) and miscellaneous and other operating 
expenses (MOOE). All eligible social workers are given priority in 
hiring. Such budgetary requirements shall be included in the General 
Appropriations Act (GAA).
SEC. 11. 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. 12. Program Transparency and Reporting.- The DSWD 
shall annually publish a fill 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.”


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SEC. 13. Unlawful Acts. - The following acts are declared 
unlawful:
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;
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. 14. 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;
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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.
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, he/she 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.
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Administrative sanctions shall be imposed without prejudice to 
prosecution in the proper courts.
SEC. 15. 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. 16. A ICS Joint Congressional Oversight Committee 
(AICS-JCOC). - The Senate and the House of Representatives shall 
constitute an Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation Joint 
Congressional Oversight (AICS-JCOC) which shall primarily monitor 
and review the implementation of this Act. The AICS-JCOC 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 minority group in 
the Senate and the House of Representatives shall each have at least 
one (1) seat in the AICS-JCOC.
For purposes of determining remedial legislation, the oversight 
committee shall, within two (2) years after the effectivity of this Act, 
conduct a review which shall include a systematic evaluation of the 
impact of this Act, accomplishments of the program, and the 
performance of the implementing agencies.
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SEC.17. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Within six (6) 
months from the effectivity of this Act, the Secretary of the DSWD in 
consultation with the Secretary of the DOH and the Commission on 
Audit (COA), shall promulgate the necessary rules and regulations to 
carry out the provisions of this Act.
SEC.18. Appropriations. - The amount necessary for the initial 
implementation of this Act shall be charged against the current year’s 
appropriations of DSWD. Thereafter, such sum as may be necessary 
for the continued implementation of this Act shall be included in the 
annual General Appropriations Act, including the payment for the 
necessary service fees, financial charges, or administrative cost, and 
capital outlay for the establishment of the necessary offices for the 
delivery of assistance.
SEC. 19. Separability Clause. - Should any provision or part of 
this Act be declared unconstitutional or invalid, the other provisions 
and parts hereof, insofar as they are separable from the invalid ones, 
shall remain in full force and effect.
SEC. 20. Repealing Clause, - All laws, decrees, orders, 
issuances, rules and regulations or parts thereof which are inconsistent 
with this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.
SEC. 21. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days 
after its publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) 
newspapers of general circulation.
Approved,
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