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Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS)
I. Program Overview
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) as the leader in social protection is mandated to contribute to better and improved quality of life for the citizenry. Priority attention shall be given to the poor, vulnerable and marginalized sectors of the society. Hence, it implements social welfare, social protection and anti-poverty programs, projects and services such as the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS), among others.
To strengthen the implementation of AICS under the Protective Services Program, Memorandum Circular (MC) No. 2 series of 2014 entitled, the “Guidelines in the Implementation of the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS)”, was issued. Subsequently, MC No. 9, series of 2016 and MC No. 11, series of 2016 were issued as supplements in the implementation of AICS. In this context, AICS serves as a social safety net or stop-gap measure to support the recovery of individuals and families suffering from from unexpected life event or crisis. The provision of psychosocial intervention and/or direct financial/material assistance may enable them to meet their basic needs in the form of food, transportation, medical, educational and burial assistance.
Amendment to Memorandum Circular No. 11, series of 2019 otherwise known as “The Revised Guidelines on the Implementation of the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation”. The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) continuously implements social welfare and social protection services especially the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) to complement the social amelioration programs of the government and to sustain the basic necessities of the families severely affected by the health and socio-economic disruption brought about by the Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) health crisis. Since the declaration of a state public health emergency in the entire Philippines, different types of community quarantine measures have been imposed resulting in increased number of individuals and families seeking assistance from the DSWD for medical, burial, food, transportation and other support services through cash aid.
It is on the premise that the DSWD, as the leader in social protection, is enhancing the policy in implementing the AICS as it is expected to cater to the increased volume of clients with more people demanding access to government services as social safety nets, to support their recovery. The “new normal” set-up based on protocols set by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) shall likewise be considered in the implementation of the AICS as laid down in this Circular or in other issuance/s of the Department.
II. Projects/Services/Activities/Modalities
The services under AICS are the following:
- Transportation Assistance – Provided that, the provision of the transportation assistance shall be limited only to clients seeking assistance for the essential travels, authorized in M.C. No. 11, series of 2019, within the Philippines.
- Medical Assistance – the assistance to help shoulder hospitalization expenses, cost of medicines, other medical treatment or procedures. In consideration of the COVID-19 pandemic and in anticipation of other possible spread of virus or other diseases, this Circular included adjustments in the provision for medical assistance.
- Burial Assistance – the assistance to defray funeral and related expenses, including but not limited to expenses in bringing the remains to the residence of the deceased and/or burial site in accordance with existing customary practices of the family especially among Indigenous Peoples and Moros.
- Educational Assistance – a form of assistance given to eligible students to help defray school expenses and/or cost of sending students/children to school with priority shall be given to working students in public high school, vocational/technological schools, state colleges and universities.
- Food Assistance – the provision of assistance to clients to meet the need for food and other most basic needs for sustenance. The assistance may be in the form not limited to the following: food packs distribution or outright cash or voucher.
- Cash Assistance for other support services – an assistance in the form of outright cash provided to individuals and families in extremely difficult circumstances in which the need does not fall on the above-mentioned assistance.
- Psychosocial Intervention – a set of interventions that is of non-biomedical means to positively alter a person’s behavior and relationship with the society in order to reduce the impact of stress brought about by a crisis. It maybe provided with, but not limited to cognitive or behavior therapies. Basically, it involves giving immediate relief to psychological and emotional issues under specific circumstances.
- Referral to Other Services – refers to assistance that are not available at the CIU or SWAD Satellite Office but can be accessed from other resources and/or networks. This involves, but not limited to, referrals to appropriate agencies for legal services, psychosocial interventions and even admissions to residential facilities for temporary shelter.
III. Target Beneficiaries
The individuals and/or families who are indigent, vulnerable, disadvantaged or are otherwise in crisis situation based on the assessment of the Social Workers.
IV. Eligibility Requirements
The eligibility of the client to avail of the services shall be determined during the interview and scrutiny of the supporting documents presented. The social worker shall discern the capacity of the family to address the problem by looking keenly on the available resources that the family could access or utilize and the assessment of the social worker shall be the basis for the recommendation.
V. Documentary Requirements
VI. Contact Person/s
CLARIVEL C. BANZUELA Social Welfare Officer V / Division Chief, Statutory Programs Division 072-687-8000 local 219 [email protected]
LOUIE A. ACOSTA Social Welfare Officer III / Head, Crisis Intervention Section 072-687-8000 local 209 [email protected]
VII. Legal Bases
Memorandum Circular No. 15 Series of 2022 (MC 15 s2020).pdf
https://www.dswd.gov.ph/issuances/
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