Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE 0F REPRESENTATIVHS
Quezon City
NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session
House Bill-rio.   594 8
Introduced by Representatives Rosanna "Ria" V. Vergara and
Florida ``Rida" P. Robes
AN ACT
INSTITUTIONALIZING THE ASSISTANCE TO INDIVIDUALS IN CRISIS
SITUATION PROGRAM 0F THE DEPARTMENT 0F SOCIAL WELFARE AND
DEVELOPMENT, PROVIDING PENALTIES FOR THE VIOLATION OF CERTAIN
UNLAWFUL ACTS, AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR
HXPLANATORY NOTE
The  Department  of Social  Welfare  and  Development's  Assistance  to  Individuals  in  Crisis
(DSWD-AICS)  Program  is  part  of the  national  government's     protective  services  for  the  poor.
marginalized, vulnerable, and disadvantaged individuals. The AICS Program has been implemented by
the DSWD for decades, as part of its technical assistance and resource augmentation support to the local
government units and other partners to provide relief to the following instances when a crisis situation
may  arise  in  communities:  (1)  Deprivation  of basic  needs  such  as  food,  water,  clothing,  medicine,
shelter and sanitation and other health care needs; (2) Lack of job opportunities; (3) Rising number of
deported overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) as a result of economic or political crisis in some parts of
the world; (4) Sudden death of an immediate family member; (5) Human-induced accidents resulting
to physical  injuries;  (6)   Car accidents;  (7)  Patients suffering from  severe  and chronic  diseases  and
mental health conditions; (8) Family disintegration due to family and marital problems that cause them
to be dysfunctional; (9) Abandoned children who later become out-of-school; (10) Battered wives and
malnourished children; and ( 10) Victims of fire incidents, especially during the peak fire season.
The institutionalization of the DSWD-Arcs Program is consistent with Article 11, Section 9 of
the Philippine Constitution which states 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 proposed law is aimed not only to improve the DSWD-AICS


Program  but  also to  insulate  government  assistance  from  partisan  politics.      Time  and  again,  some
politicians use government-ftinded programs to advance their own  political  interest.    This  law seeks,
among others, to penalize any person who will falsely represent to the beneficiaries as to the source of
funding for the program or interfere with or disrupt the implementation of the program.
In view of the foregoing, the passage of this bill is earnestly sought.
ROS
3rd District, Nueva Ecija
FLORID
Re
Lone District, San Jose Del Monte City


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City
NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session
HouseBi`l|No.5948
Introduced by Representatives Rosanna "Ria" V. Vergara and
Florida ``Rida" P. Robes
AN ACT
INSTITUTIONALIZING TIIE ASSISTANCH TO INDIVIDUALS IN CRISIS
SITUATION PROGRAM OF THE DEPARTMENT 0F SOCIAL WELFARE AND
DEVELOPMENT, PROVIDING PENALTIES FOR THE VIOLATION 0F CERTAIN
UNLAWFUL ACTS, AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR
1                     SECTION 1. Sfeo" ritJe. -This Act shall be known as the  ",4ssi.s/cr#ce /a J#c7z.vz.cJ#c]/s
2       in crisis situation (AICS) Act."
3                    SEC. 2. Dec/¢ro/I.o# a/Pt}/I.c}7. -It is the policy of the state to promote a just and
4      dynamic social order alleviating the plight of the poor through policies that provide adequate
5       social services and raise the standard of living for the improved quality of life for all. Towards
6      this  end, the  State  shall provide  assistance through projects, programs and services  geared
7      towards alleviating poverty and improving the quality of life of every Filipino, especially the
8      marginalized sector, and disadvantaged individuals and families.
SEC. 3. Dc##j./I.o# a/ rcriias. -As used in this Act:
c7.    .4sfz.a/z.ve  Devj.ces  a#c7  rccfe#o/ogz.es  refer to  those  whose  primary  purpose  is  to
maintain  or  improve  an  individual's  functioning  and  independence  to  facilitate
participation and 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;
a.    B#rz.cz/ c}sJz.s/o#ce 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;
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c.    Ccrse   A4cz#crgej"e#/   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 the qualified
beneficiaries  to  improve  their  functiohing  by  dealing  with  their  difficulties  in
addressing their needs;
c7.    Crz.sJ's sj./#c7fz.o# 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.    Dz.scrbJ./I.ty s#f2por/ crssJ.I/¢#cc 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;
/    Ed#ccr/i.o#cz/ as'sz.s/c}7?ce refers to financial assistance extended to elementary, high
school, and college 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;
9.    Fz.#cr#cz.a/  c7ssz.s/o#ce  refers  to  monetary  support  in  the  form  of outright  cash,
guarantee letter, coupon, check or voucher that has monetary value, including burial
assistance,  transportation  assistance,  medical  assistance,  educational  assistance,
training assistance, food assistance, assistance for other support services and other
allied assistance or physical aid such as food, clothing, and assistive devices and
technologies;
fo.    Fooc7 crssis/cJ#ce 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;
z..     Gz+czrcr#/ee  /e//er 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 on
credit and enter into partnership agreement with DSWD;
/..     A4lcr/erz.cr/ cz7!d a/foer crssz.s/cr#ce refers to an assistance given to individuals in crisis
by  providing  them  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;
4.    A4ledz.ca/ czssis/cz#ce refers to  out-of-pocket expense  in the  form of coupon,  stub,
guarantee letter, promissory note or voucher that has monetary value, given directly
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to recipients or beneficiaries to be used to pay for hospitalization expenses, other
medical treatments or procedures, 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;
/.     Perso#s  wztfo  c7z.fabz./I./z.es  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. I 1215, otherwise known
as  "Iva/I.o72cz/ J#/egra/ecz Ccz#cer Co#tro/ ,4cf " and persons with rare disease under
Republic   Act  No.   10747,   otherwise   known   as   "Jicrrc   Dz.secrscs  4c/   a/  /fag
Philippines".,
".   rarge/ Bej7e#cz.crrj.es refer to individuals or families who are indigent, vulnerable,
disadvantaged, or intemally displaced persons or in crisis situation based on the
assessment of the social workers of the DSWD; and
15                     7®.    rrcz#xpor/a/z.o# crssz.s/cz"ce refers to the monetary support to cover the actual cost
16                           incurred  on  land,  sea,  and  air travel,  including  travel  insurance  and  such  other
17                           related expenses as facilitated by the social workers of the DSWD.
18                   SE:C. 4. Assistance to Individuals in crisis situation (AICS). -To e;ffectivdy respond
19       to the needs of the crisis,  each qualified target beneficiary shall receive  financial, medical,
2o      transportation,  food,  material  assistance,  and other assistance, to  include  disability  support
21       services including other professional assistance available in the DSWD, such as psychosocial
22      support or intervention for dysfunctional families and their children who need trauma care and
23      management,  and  legal  consultation,  based on the assessment of the  social workers  of the
24       DSWD.
25                    For purposes of this Act, the provision of medical assistance by the Department of
26      Health (DOH) and its health facilities shall be harmonized with that being provided by the
27       DSWD  and other agencies.  Towards this end,  Republic Act No.  11463,  also  known as the
28      A4cr/crs¢*zt centers Act, shall have suppletory effect for purposes of streamlining the grant of
29       medical  and  financial  assistance  to  eligible  beneficiaries  at  the  A4Zz/czscrfo./  Centers,  and  to
3o      prevent duplication in providing medical assistance to beneficiaries in crisis situation.
31                   Smc. S. Type, Kind and Amount of Financial Assistance.   -The type> kind a]nd
32      amount of assistance that the target beneficiaries may receive are based on the assessment and
33      recommendation of the social workers or authorized personnel of the DSWD, duly approved
34      by their authorized officials. The transportation assistance ofqualified target beneficiaries who
35       come from geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas shall be considered.
36                    In order to fully meet the medical needs of individuals in crisis situation, particularly
37       persons with disabilities or people with special needs such as persons with spinal cord injury
38      who need catheter and urine bag that entail additional costs, the DOH may provide the initial
39       costing per type of disability for the effective assessment of social workers of the DSWD.
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1                    Aside  from  the  regular  AICS  referral  for  other  services  such  as  legal  services,
2       psychosocial interventions, and admission to residential facilities or temporary shelter, referral
3       system for financial assistance augmentation may be utilized by the DSWD.
4                    Appropriate  documentation  as  provided  for  in  the  DSWD  AICS  Guidelines  shall
5       support all disbursements offunds.
6                    A  social  case  study report is required  of those  whose assistance  is higher than ten
7       thousand pesos (Plo,000.00).
8                   SEIC. 6. Provision of Assistance Through Adoptive Means. -The DS:WD shall aidapt
9      means in order to efflciently, expeditiously and effectively deliver the financial and material
10       assistance to the clients and communities needing assistance from the government,  such as
11      establishment of a mobile command center at the DSWD Central Office and in all regions,
12       establishing  an  automated  system  of processing  the  request  for  assistance  as  well  as  the
13      releasing of the  assistance to the  beneficiaries,  and building a unified  information system,
14      payment for the necessary service fees or financial charges for the delivery of assistance, and
15       others.
16                   SEC. 7. Case M¢H¢gcme#/ fysfem. -There shall be established a case management
17       system to improve service delivery of the AICs to the qualified beneficiaries.
18                    In keeping with the principle of equitable access, and ensuring that access to the AICS
19      is maximized, a mechanism for real-time data sharing between the DSWD and the LGUs shall
20      be institutionalized, subject to the statutory limitations under the Data privacy Act of 2012.
21      Under  this  mechanism,  concerned  agencies  and  LGUs  may  share  information  from  a
22       centralized database in order to identify the assistance given to a qualified beneficiary,  for
23       purposes of assistance augmentation and to prevent a possible abuse of the assistance given to
24       those in crisis situations.
25                  Ssmc  8.  Crisis  Intervention  Program  Management  Of f iice  (CI"0`.  ~  A Grist+s
26      Intervention program Management office is created at the central office of the Department of
27       Social welfare and Development. The office shall monitor and evaluate the implementation of
28      AICS  Program  and  prepare  the  monitoring  and  evaluation  report  for  submission  to  the
29       Secretary  of the  DSWD.    The  monitoring  and  evaluation  report  must  be  available  and
30       accessible to any stakeholder at the national, regional, and local levels.
31                    SEC. 9. AddJ./I.o#¢/ PJ¢#fl.//a Posl.fl.oHs. -The DSWD shall create the required plantilla
32       and staffing pattern necessary for the  implementation of this Act,  in coordination with the
33      Department of Budget and Management and the civil service commission.
34                   SEC.10. Pt?rso##e/ Coxp/cmc#f. -The CIPMO central office, the crisis Intervention
35       Sections,  and the  Social  Welfare  and  Development  Satellite  Offices that  implement AICS
36      programs shall be adequately staffed by licensed social workers and support staff. The CIPMO
37      program  director at the  Central  Office  and the regional  directors  in the  field  offices  shall
38      appoint  and  assign the  necessary  personnel  for the  effective  implementation  of the  AICS
39       program.
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1                   SEC.11.  Ujl/flw/w/ Acts tl#d pe#¢/fl.cs.  -It shall be unlawful for any individual or
2       organizationto:
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a.   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;
b.   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;
c.   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;
d.   Falsely represent to the beneficiaries through any means that the funding for the AICS
program emanates from sources other than the national government; and
e.   Interfere with or disrupt the implementation or delivery of AICS services or funds to
the qualified beneficiaries.
Any person, group or organization who commits any of the foregoing unlawful acts
18       shall be punished by imprisonment of not less than one (1) year but not more than six (6) years
19      and a fine  of not less than but not more than double the amount of the assistance,  at the
20      discretion of the court.  If the offender is an organization, the president, manager, or any officer
21      of the  organization  who  participated  in the  commission  of the  acts  enumerated  above  or
22      benefited there from, or both, shall be held liable.  If the offender is an official or employee of
23       any  local  government unit, the penalty shall  include perpetual disqualification from public
24       office.
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26                    Conspiracy  to  commit the  foregoing  unlawful  acts  shall  be  penalized  by  the  same
27       penalty prescribed under this section.
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29                    In all circumstances, the government shall be authorized to prosecute or to file cases on
30      behalfofthe private individual defrauded and damaged by the aforementioned acts.
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32                    Any person who were coerced,  invited, encouraged or misled while committing the
33      crimes  above,  or  any  person  who  has  witnessed  or has  knowledge  or  information  on the
34      commission of the crime and has testified or is testifying or about to testify before anyjudicial
35      or quasi-judicial body, or before any investigating authority, may be admitted into the witness
36      protection program, Provided that to become a state witness for this crime, he/she shall not be
37       themostguilty.
38                   SEC.12.  rro#sp¢rc#cjJ ¢#d pwb/i.c Sc~;.cc.     In the spirit of transparency and the
39      principle  that  government  resources  should  be  used  only  in  the  performance  of official
4o      functions and not for private gain or political purposes, the DSWD shall produce inexpensive
41      information materials which shall be adequate to inform the beneficiaries that the AICs fund
42      originates from the revenues of the national government headed by the president.    The said
43       information materials shall contain, among others, the statement "Pcrcr j7g rczo#g Bcrycz#, Pcrrcr
44       saTaongBayan."
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46                    SHC.  13  Joint  Congressional  O`lersight  Committee.  -  AL  congressiona,1  oversich:1
47      committee is constituted to monitor, set the overall framework, and review the implementation
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1      of this Act.  The committee shall determine the inherent weaknesses in the law and recommend
2       necessary remedial legislation or executive measures.
3                    The oversight committee is composed of five (5) Senators and five (5) Representatives
4      to be appointed by the  Senate  President and the  Speaker of the House  of Representatives,
5      respectively, and co-chaired by the chairpersons of the committee on social Justice, Welfare
6      and Rural Development of the senate and the committee on social services of the House of
7       Representatives.
8                    For purposes of determining remedial legislation, the oversight committee shall, within
9      three  (3)  years  after  the  effectivity  of this  Act,  conduct  a  review  which  shall  include  a
10      systematic  evaluation of the  impact of this Act,  accomplishments  of the program,  and the
11       performance of the implementing agencies.
12                   SEC.14. J"p/c"e"fl.#g Rw/es aHd Rcgw/¢fl.our. -Within one hundred eighty (180)
13       days  from the effectivity of this Act, the  Secretary of the DSWD  in consultation with the
14       Secretary of the DOH and the commission on Audit (COA), shall promulgate the necessary
15       rules and regulations to cany out the provisions of this Act.
16                   SEC.15. 4pprap".¢fl.our. -The amount necessary for the initial implementation of this
17       Act shall be charged against the current year's appropriations ofDSWD. Thereafter, such suni
18      as may be necessary for the continued implementation of this Act shall be included in the
19      annual  General  Appropriations  Act,  including  the  payment  for the  necessary  service  fees,
20      financial  charges,  or  administrative  cost,  and  capital  outlay  for  the  establishment  of the
21       necessary offices for the delivery of assistance.
22                    SEC.16. Seprrobi./i.ty c/¢use. -If any provision or part of this Act is held invalid or
23      unconstitutional, the remaining parts or provisions not affected shall remain in full force and
24      effect.
25                    SEC.17. Rcpca/j.#g cJ¢#sc. -All laws, presidential decrees or issuances, executive
26      orders,  letter  of instructions,  administrative  orders,  rules,  and  regulations  or  parts  thereof
27      contrary to or inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are amended, repealed, or modified
28       accordingly.
29                    SEC.18. ELTccfl.vl.fy. -This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication
30      in the official Gazette or in a national newspaper of general circulation.
31                   Approved ,
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