The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has reiterated its Anti-Epal policy, with Secretary Rex Gatchalian stressing that no politicians should be present during the distribution of government assistance.

“No politicians should be seen in the AICS payout,” Gatchalian said during a press conference with the Malacañang Press Corps on Monday morning.

He described the relationship between beneficiaries and social workers as “sacred,” citing this as a key reason why elected officials should not attend payout activities.

The former Valenzuela City mayor said he would leave the crafting of penalties for violators to lawmakers but emphasized that payouts should immediately be suspended once politicians arrive at the venue.

Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) is a financial aid program of the DSWD that provides support to Filipinos facing crises such as poverty, illness, and calamities.

Under the proposed 2026 national budget, the AICS program is set to receive a P63.90 billion allocation out of the agency’s total P269 billion budget.

Aside from AICS, Gatchalian said the DSWD will also prioritize increasing funding for other programs, including feeding initiatives, social pensions for senior citizens, the construction of more Bahay Pag-Asa facilities for youth offenders, and disaster response efforts.

He added that the agency is exploring more sustainable approaches to lifting Filipinos out of poverty, such as expanding livelihood programs and strengthening its digital presence through social technologies to prevent online exploitation.