WITH a unanimous vote of 176, the House of Representatives has passed on its third and final reading Wednesday House Bill 11395 institutionalizing the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS) program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez said experience has proven AICS to be an effective poverty alleviation and financial support mechanism of the national government for the poor, the jobless, the financially distressed, and the vulnerable.
He noted that HB 11395 was a consolidation of 11 separate bills, manifesting the proponents’ acknowledgment of the importance of AICS and the necessity to institutionalize it.
“This program of the DSWD has helped countless Filipinos with the type of aid that they cannot obtain from other government agencies and local government units, such as burial, transportation, food, and material assistance,” the leader of the 306-strong House of Representatives said.
Unlike other state assistance measures that are limited in scope, AICS is broader in coverage and therefore benefits more people, the House leader said.
“Thus the need to institutionalize it in a law for its existing and potential beneficiaries so they could be assured of continued help under any national or DSWD leadership,” he added.
Authors of the bill include Stella Luz Quimbo, Rosemarie Panotes, Yedda Marie K. Romualdez, Jude Acidre, Paul Daza, Keith Micah Tan, Eric Yap, Edvic Yap, Jocelyn Tulfo, Ralph Wendel Tulfo, Jeffry Soriano, Ernesto Dionisio, Rosanna Vergara, Florida Robes, Wowo Fortes, Ruth Mariano-Hernandez, Dale Corvera, Josephine Lacson-Noel, Lani Mercado-Revilla, Reynolds Michael Tan, Lordan Suan, Patrick Michael Vargas, Jason Almonte, Dante Garcia, Samual Verzosa, Jr., Ching Bernos, Linabelle Ruth Villarica, Augustina Dominique Pancho, Geraldine Roman, JC Abalos, Reynante Arrogancia, Eduardo Rama, Jr., Romeo Acop and Arlene Brosas;
Loreto Acharon, Roy Loyola, Danny Domingo, Maria Fe Abunda, Dean Asistio, Josefina Tallado, Yevgeny Emano, Carmelo Lazatin, Mary Mitzi Cajayon-Uy, Gerville Luistro, Antonieta Eudela, Bai Dimple Mastura, Luz Mercado, Franciso Jose Matugas II, Alfredo Marañon III, Emmarie Ouano-Dizon, Harris Christopher Ongchuan, Maria Rachel Arenas, Nelso Dayanghirang, Noel Rivera;
Bryan Revilla, Christopherson Yap, Ramon Jolo Revilla, Arthur Celeste, Marcelino Libanan, Richard Gomez, Eleanor Bulut-Begtang, Wilfrido Enverga, Mark Go, Joseph Tan, Bienvenido Abante, Jose Manuel Alba, Gutierrez, Ramon Rodrigo Rodriguez, Bonifacio Bosita, Jaime Fresnedi, Peter John Calderon, Arnan Panaligan, Salvador Pleyto, Ricardo Cruz, Angelica Natasha Co, Juliet Marie Ferrer, Anna York Bondoc, Loreto Amante, Gust Tambunting, Ralph Recto, Edwin Olivarez, Jaime Eduardo Cojuangco, Joseph Gilbert Violago, Edward Hagedorn, Marlyn Primicias-Agabas, and Claude Bautista.
The proposed law provides that AICS target beneficiaries would be “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.”
Each qualified 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 legal consultation,” based on the evaluation of DSWD social workers.
The bill requires appropriate documentation as provided in the DSWD AICS guidelines for all fund disbursements related to all types of assistance.
Assistance and service delivery shall be conducted by the DSWD central office, field offices, offsite venues, and extension offices.
Under the measure, the DSWD is mandated to establish an Integrated Program Delivery System, ensuring that access to the AICS is maximized by institutionalizing a mechanism for real-time data sharing between the DSWD and the LGUs to determine assistance needed by eligible beneficiaries and prevent possible abuse.
The department is required to conduct monitoring and evaluation to assess the program’s responsiveness and to post periodic updates and disclosures on its website, including information about fund disbursements and beneficiaries.
The bill provides the following additional safeguards to ensure proper implementation:
(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:
– 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;
– 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;
– 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.
A violator would face a prison term of six months and administrative liability if he is a public officer, and one-year suspension of availing of assistance for the first offense and imprisonment of one year to six years for the second offense if he is a beneficiary.
The bill creates a joint congressional committee to oversee the implementation of the proposed law.
It mandates the DSWD to issue implementing rules and regulations. Funds for the implementation of the AICS program shall be included in the DSWD’s annual budget.
About the Author
