The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) announced on Friday that it is revising the guidelines for its Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) program to prevent its misuse for political purposes.

“We are currently drafting amendments to the AICS guidelines. We plan to adopt some strong provisions from the AKAP (Ayuda sa Kapos ang Kita) guidelines found in the joint memorandum circular. Early in those guidelines, it clearly states ‘No politicking allowed.’ When DSWD conducts pay-outs, politicians should not be present. They cannot distribute flyers, leaflets, or campaign materials,” said Undersecretary Adonis Sulit of the Policy and Plans Group (PPG).

Undersecretary Sulit was referring to Joint Memorandum Circular No. 2025-01, which sets rules for the AKAP program issued by the DSWD, Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), and the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).

The circular assigns the DSWD the responsibility to protect the program from exploitation and political influence. It strictly prohibits politicians from being involved in pay-out events, handing out leaflets, or putting up posters and banners linking the program to any political figure.

Sulit emphasized that it’s not just politicians — anyone not affiliated with the DSWD should be barred from presence at pay-out sites.

When asked how the Department will ensure beneficiaries recognize that the aid comes from the DSWD and not from local leaders or politicians, Sulit said:

“We agree that it’s not only improper but we must also avoid the appearance of impropriety where others take credit for taxpayer money. This is government funding, not anyone’s personal fund. So, the aid must go directly to those in need. We will include clear, specific ‘No Epal’ (no politicking) rules in the new AICS guidelines, just like in the AKAP guidelines.”

Besides adding the “No Epal” provision, the DSWD is also clarifying the amount of aid provided under AICS, based on Commission on Audit (CoA) findings.

“We’re amending the AICS guidelines because CoA raised some issues — not that we did anything illegal, but some things were unclear. Management said once we know our funding for next year, we need to fix this to avoid confusion. For example, there’s a P10,000 ceiling, but a client might only receive P5,000, which could cause misunderstandings. But I want to stress that the actual amount given depends on the social worker’s assessment,” Sulit explained.

He added that these amendments and improvements are part of DSWD’s ongoing efforts to ensure transparency and provide better public service.