The reduction of the 2026 budget for the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) will not affect the quality of services but will lead to a decrease in the number of beneficiaries, an agency executive said.

The AICS budget in the 2026 National Expenditure Program (NEP) of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) is set at ₱27 billion, significantly lower than the 2025 budget of ₱44.7 billion.

“Yung serbisyo po hindi bababa, pero I think kung hindi madadagdagan (budget), yung number of clients na pwedeng maserve, yun ang hindi magmamatch,” Undersecretary Adonis Sulit of the Policy and Plans Group (PPG) told reporters at the DSWD Thursday Media Forum on Sept. 25 at the Central Office’s New Press Center in Quezon City.

Undersecretary Sulit said the menu of assistance under the AICS remains the same, including medical, transportation, food, and burial support, among others.

“Kasi ngayon at the average, ang AICS nagse-serve ng 6 to 6.6 million in a year, pero that is at the level of ₱40 billion, mga ₱34 to ₱40 billion ngayon. Kung ito po ay ₱27 billion next year, siyempre, hindi po natin mako-cover yung ganung kasing rami, pero yung menu of assistance, they are still the same, nadiyan pa din po yung medical assistance, transportation assistance, pero yung number of beneficiaries that may be served, yun po, for sure, liliit yun,” Sulit said.

When asked if the reduction would affect the amount of assistance per client, Undersecretary Sulit clarified that the amount will remain based on the assessment of the social worker. The AICS program guidelines provide minimum and maximum ceilings for assistance, but the actual cash dispensed depends on the client’s need.

“Yun po kasing amount na ibibigay, it’s really up to the assessment of the social worker. So, kahit po ngayon, kahit ang maximum cash assistance is ₱10,000, if in the opinion of the social worker assessing the case of the client, ₱1,500 lang, kasi may naririnig po ako nabigyan ng ₱1,500, ₱3,000. It’s not actually a fixed amount. Pero siyempre, kung ako ang client, I’d like to get nga the maximum amount lalo na kung multiple yung crisis na pinagdadaanan niya,” he explained.

Despite the reduction in funds, Sulit said the DSWD has received positive feedback from Congress and the Senate to lobby for an increase in the 2026 AICS budget.

“So kung bibigyan po kami, that is most welcome, because that will serve more beneficiaries. That will help more people in crisis and will surely trickle down doon sa mas nangangailangan. Ayaw namin umasa ng wagas, but we have good reason to believe that there will be more to the ₱27 billion that we have in the NEP,” Undersecretary Sulit pointed out.

For 2025, the Department has already obligated 94.38 percent of the AICS budget.