To provide efficient and effective protective services for the poor, marginalized, and vulnerable individuals, the Department of Social Welfare and Development based in Northern Mindanao is strengthening its Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS).

The AICS is implemented to provide a range of services, such as immediate rescue, and provision of direct financial assistance, psychosocial support, and material assistance including medical, transportation, financial, and burial and other services.

The beneficiaries of the AICS shall be the walk-in and referred clients of the DSWD. Priority shall be given, first, to beneficiaries belonging to indigent families under Listahanan – the DSWD’s National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction, second, to families belonging to the informal sector, and third, other poor, marginalized, and vulnerable or disadvantaged families.

Assistance are in the form of transportation, medical, burial, food and non-food, and educational. DSWD, however, emphasizes that these assistance can only be availed based on the assessment and recommendation of the DSWD social workers and/or other authorized personnel, duly approved by the authorized officials of the Department.

Financial assistance amounting to not more than P3,000 may be released immediately to the beneficiary duly approved by DSWD, while a maximum assistance of P10,000 may be extended to clients seeking medical, burial, and transportation assistance through issuance of Guarantee Letter to service providers, such as transport companies, medical institution, pharmacies, and funeral services.

Certain requirements however are requested from the beneficiaries seeking assistance: For medical assistance, clinical abstracts or medical certificates, hospital bills, prescriptions, laboratory requests, barangay certificates or valid ID of the beneficiary, referral letters if applicable should be submitted; for burial assistance, funeral contract, registered dead certificate, barangay certificate or valid ID of the beneficiary, permit to transfer / health permit, or referral letter if applicable; for transportation assistance, barangay certificate or any valid ID of the beneficiary, police blotter, and referral letter if applicable; and for educational assistance, enrollment assessment form or certificate of enrolment or registration, school ID of the student, barangay certificate or any valid ID of the barangay and referral letter if applicable.

A beneficiary can avail of the assistance only once within three (3) months. Availment of assistance beyond this limit, however, must be supported by a justification based on the special need of the beneficiary per assessment of the DSWD.

DSWD is now partnering with public hospitals and other concerned government agencies, transport companies, funeral parlors, drugstores and pharmacies, hospitals and other services providers to ensure that referred clients are efficiently and effectively assisted.