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TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session
25 JUL 16 ? 4 -11
SENATE 
S. B. No.
R1:.C£IV D
G76
Introduced by Senator Christopher Lawrence "Bong" T. Go
AN ACT
INSTITUTIONALIZING THE ASSISTANCE TO INDIVIDUALS IN CRISIS 
SITUATION PROGRAM OF THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL WELFARE AND
development, providing penalties for the violation of certain
UNLAWFUL ACTS, AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR
EXPLANATORY NOTE
According to Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), the country's poverty rate 
declined to 22.4 percent in the first half of 2023 from 23.7 percent in the same period 
in 2021. However, it still translates to 25.24 million Filipinos whose per capita income is 
not sufficient to meet their basic food and non-food needs.
Many Filipinos continue to face various crises brought about by poverty, illness, 
natural and man-made disasters, and displacement. In response to these pressing 
challenges, there is a clear and urgent need to institutionalize the Assistance to 
Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) Program of the Department of Social Welfare and 
Development (DSWD).
Institutionalizing the AICS Program gives the DSWD a stronger foundation to 
deliver timely, fair, and responsive help to individuals and families facing difficult 
situations. Through this measure, distressed families will have a reliable avenue to seek 
assistance whenever a crisis arises. This Act establishes a long-term commitment to 
social protection, thereby strengthening public trust in government institutions 
responsible for delivering assistance in times of need.


This proposed Act aims to institutionalize the AICS program as a permanent 
national initiative to effectively address the needs of Filipinos during challenging 
situations by providing each qualified target beneficiary financial, medical, 
transportation, food, material assistance, and other assistance based on the assessment 
of the social workers of the DSWD.
In view of the foregoing, the passage of this bill is earnestly sought.
SENATOR CHRISTOPHER
RENCE "BONG" T.


m-,:,' of E i'
TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session
25 JUL 16 P4 -11
SENATE
O' ry
S. B. No. b / D
Ri-CEIVi
Introduced by Senator Christopher Lawrence "Bong" T. Go
AN ACT
INSTITUTIONALIZING THE ASSISTANCE TO INDIVIDUALS IN CRISIS 
SITUATION PROGRAM OF THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL WELFARE AND 
DEVELOPMENT, PROVIDING PENALTIES FOR THE VIOLATION OF CERTAIN 
UNLAWFUL ACTS, AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR
Se it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled:
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SECTION. 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Assistance to
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Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) Act of 2025."
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SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is the policy of the State to promote a just
5 and dynamic social order alleviating the plight of the poor through policies that provide
6 adequate social services and raise the standard of living for the improved quality of life
7 for all. Towards this end, the State shall provide assistance through projects, programs
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and services geared towards alleviating poverty and improving the quality of life of every
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Filipino, especially the marginalized sector, and disadvantaged individuals and families. 
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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
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disabilities 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;
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. 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;
d. 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;
e. 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;


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f. Financial assistance refers to monetary support in the form of outright cash,
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electronic fund transfer, guarantee letter, coupon, check or voucher that has
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monetary value, including funeral assistance, transportation assistance, medical
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assistance, educational assistance, training assistance, food assistance,
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assistance for other support services, and all other types of cash assistance that
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may be provided under the Program;
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g. Food assistance refers to assistance to those in need due to human induced
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and natural calamities and those experiencing other forms of crisis or
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displacement, eviction, demolitions or requiring interventions for sector-specific
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support which include hot meals, food or meal allowance, or the cash equivalent
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of the required hot meals and/or food packs;
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h. Guarantee letter refers to a document duly approved and issued by the DSWD,
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which ensures the payment of the amount appearing on the document, that the
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beneficiary presents to any public or government owned or controlled hospitals
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or other entities and to any similar private entity that is willing to provide
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services;
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i. Material and other in-kind assistance refers to an assistance given to individuals
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in crisis by providing them food and non-food items, non-financial, and the likes,
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and may also include other professional assistance available in the DSWD, such
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as psycho-social support and legal consultation;
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j. Medical assistance refers to out-of-pocket expense in the form of coupon, stub,
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guarantee letter, promissory note or voucher that has monetary value, given
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directly to recipients or beneficiaries to be used to pay for hospitalization
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expenses, other medical treatments or procedures which include birthing


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procedure, as well as professional fees and consultation fees, and the purchase 
of drugs, medicines, goods or other services prescribed by the physician of a 
health facility for in- and out-patients;
k. Target Beneficiaries ref or 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
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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 Individuais in Crisis Situation (AICS). - To effectively respond
13 to the needs of the crisis, each qualified target beneficiary shall receive financial,
14 medical, transportation, food, material assistance, or other assistance, to include
15 disability support services including other professional assistance available in the DSWD,
16 such as psychosocial support or intervention for dysfunctional families and their children
17 who need trauma care and management, and legal consultation, based on the
18 assessment of the social workers of the DSWD.
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The DSWD shall be the lead agency in the implementation of the AICS Program and
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shall be responsible in the administration, sourcing, assessment, and approval of all
22 applications in availing from the appropriated funds for the implementation of the
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Program. In the implementation of this Act, the DSWD shall ensure that qualified
24 beneficiaries receive their assistance promptly and without delay.


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SEC. 5. Type and Amount of Assistance. - The following are the types of assistance
2 that the target beneficiaries may receive under the Program based on the assessment
3 and recommendation of the social workers, authorized personnel, or any other
4 personnel authorized by the DSWD, duly approved by their authorized officials:
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a. Financial assistance - a service provided in a form of cash, guarantee letter,
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and other modes of delivery of service issued to qualified clients to cover
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medical, funeral, transportation, educational, food, and cash relief assistance;
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b. Material assistance- a service providing food and non-food items to clients who
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need immediate material support, such as food packs or vouchers, hygiene or
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sleeping kits and assistive devices and technologies, subject to its availability;
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c. Psychosocial support service - a service provided by trained or professional
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psychosocial support workers to help meet the psychological, emotional, and
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social needs of beneficiaries and their families. It is a set of interventions that
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intends to positively improve a person's behavior to reduce the impact of stress
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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
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the range of services of the Program through coordination and/or endorsement
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of the beneficiary's case within the DSWD's available programs, projects and
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services and to other agencies such as to the Department of Education (DepEd),
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Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Technical Education and Skills
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Development Authority (TESDA), Department of Health (DOH), Public
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Attorney's Office (PAO), Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO),
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Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), local government


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units (LGUs) and other government agencies, civil service organizations, and 
international/non-government organizations; and 
e. Such other services that the DSWD may deem appropriate.
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SEC 6. Program Beneficiaries. - All individuals and families determined to be in
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a "state of active crisis" or "crisis situation", or needing financial or material support
7 from the National Government, whether or not as a form of augmentation to that
8 provided by the local government unit, based on the assessment of a DSWD Social
9 Worker. In general, any individual, whether indigent or not, who is in a crisis situation
10 or in difficult circumstances in life may be assisted through any of the assistance
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provided in this Act.
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The DSWD may prescribe the necessary documentary requirements for each
14 type of assistance that may be availed by the program beneficiary.
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SEC. 7. Prohibitions. - It shall be unlawful for any individual, public official, or
17 employee of the DSWD or any local government unit, to cause delay in the
18 implementation or delivery of AICS services or funds to the qualified beneficiaries or
19 coerce a beneficiary to surrender a portion of the assistance. Any person who committed
20 the unlawful act under this Section shall be liable under the Revised Penal Code and
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other existing penal laws. If the offender is a public official or employee, he or she shall
22 also be held administratively liable.
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SEC. 8. Grievance Mechanisms. - The DSWD shall establish grievance
2 mechanisms for the filing or reporting of complaints or grievances and other related
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laws arising from the implementation of the AICS Program. For this purpose, the
4 Department shall ensure that all beneficiaries and stakeholders of the Program have
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access to these grievance mechanisms.
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SEC. 9. Program Transparency and Reporting. - The DSWD shall quarterly
8 publish a full report of the Program covering the implementation of the previous quarter
9 and post and update periodically on the DSWD website a report of financial disclosures
10 and information about beneficiaries based on geographical area and sectoral category,
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subject to the provisions of Republic Act No. 10173, or the "Data Privacy Act of 2012."
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The DSWD shall also submit to Congress a quarterly accomplishment report and
14 utilization of the funds earmarked for the implementation of the Program. The Report
15 shall include the pertinent details of the implementation, such as, but not limited to, the
16 mode of implementation, number of beneficiaries, expenditures, and other pertinent
17 information as may be necessary.
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SEC. 10. Joint Congressional Oversight Committee. - A joint congressional
20 oversight committee shall be constituted to monitor, set the overall framework, and
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review the implementation of this Act.
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The Oversight Committee shall be composed of five (5) Senators and five (5)
24 Representatives to be appointed by the Senate President and the Speaker of the House


1 of Representatives, respectively, and co-chaired by the Chairpersons of the Committee
2 on Social Justice, Welfare and Rural Development of the Senate and the Committee on
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Social Services of the House of Representatives.
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SEC. 11. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Within six (6) months from the
6 effectivity of this Act, the Secretary of the DSWD shall promulgate the necessary rules
7 and regulations to carry out the provisions of this Act.
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SEC. 12. Appropriations. - The amount necessary for the initial implementation
10 of this Act shall be charged against the current year's appropriations of DSWD.
11 Thereafter, such sum as may be necessary for the continued implementation of this Act
12 shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act, including the payment for
13 the necessary service fees, financial charges, or administrative cost, and capital outlay
14 for the establishment of the necessary offices for the delivery of assistance.
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SEC. 13. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part of this Act is held invalid
17 or unconstitutional, the remaining parts or provisions not affected shall remain in full
18 force and effect.
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SEC. 14. Repealing Clause. - All laws, presidential decrees or issuances,
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executive orders, letter of instructions, administrative orders, rules, and regulations or
22 parts thereof contrary to or inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are amended,
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repealed, or modified accordingly.


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SEC. 15. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
2 publication in the Official Gazette or in a national newspaper of general circulation.
Approved,