DSWD denies aid tied to patronage politics

The Department of Social Welfare and Development said the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) program will absorb beneficiaries of the now defunded Ayuda sa Kapos ang Kita Program (AKAP), using AICS’ P63.8-billion budget allocation for 2026, amid renewed criticism linking cash aid to political patronage.

Director Edwin Morata of the DSWD Crisis Intervention Program (CIP) said the AICS budget is sufficient to accommodate the additional 3.9 million beneficiaries previously assisted under AKAP, including through the issuance of Guarantee Letters (GLs) for qualified clients.

“These 3.9 million [people] will be part of the AICS this year. Of course, they are all also undergoing crisis. For example, they are taking medicines, they’ve been hospitalized. So when you remove them, they might say they have nowhere else to go. But rest assured, AICS is still there,” Morata said.

AKAP, implemented as a two-year program beginning 2024, assisted 3.9 million Filipinos in 2025. Morata said clients previously covered by AKAP for medical, burial, transportation and food assistance may now be served under AICS.

For 2025, AKAP disbursed P24 billion nationwide and provided support through both cash aid and GLs.

“We partnered it under AICS to ensure that the right services are being provided to the right person, and for the right purpose,” Morata said.

Morata defended the shift from cash assistance toward GLs, saying unrestricted cash sometimes fails to address the immediate crisis the program is meant to support.

Fund misuse

“When we tried to understand some of the people, or maybe this is a culture among some Filipinos, when you give them money, they don’t use it for the right purpose. Sometimes they have bills they need to settle, and whatever is left is what they end up using for their needs,” he said.

The GL system allows DSWD to directly cover approved expenses and limit diversion of funds. The agency has expanded partnerships with private hospitals, therapy centers, implant providers, pharmacies carrying specialized drugs, supermarkets and transportation companies to widen the range of services that may be covered through GLs.

“There is no more reason for a Filipino to ask us and say that what they need isn’t available there, and then ask for cash. That is why we are trying to give guarantee letters,” Morata said.

Applicants must have a triggering circumstance and undergo assessment by the DSWD CIP office. Relatives may submit requirements on behalf of patients, he added.

Morata said GLs may cover up to P150,000, with higher amounts possible for cases assessed as grave, depending on the client’s need. AICS, he added, may be availed of regardless of income level as long as the client is experiencing a crisis.

He also said GL distribution is insulated from political influence.

“Because patronage politics is when you yourself are the one giving it, with photo-ops. As far as I know, we haven’t experienced anything like that,” Morata said.

Non-partisan

He added that DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian directed strict enforcement of non-partisanship in offsite payouts, warning that the presence of politicians could result in cancellation or postponement of operations.

“There are times when we have initial coordination (with the LGU) that they should no longer go. It is very clear to us that during the payout, it should be only us who are there,” Morata said.

AICS operations are currently based at the Paragon Building along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City, while DSWD field offices nationwide continue processing GL requests for local applicants.