CoA flags P397-M DSWD aid

The Commission on Audit (CoA) flagged P397.45 million in potentially duplicate and overlapping payments under the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation program, citing deficiencies in beneficiary validation and financial controls.

In its annual audit report, CoA identified discrepancies in beneficiary records, referral-based selection, inconsistent documentation, inadequate monitoring, and weaknesses in beneficiary validation, deduplication, and accountability mechanisms.

These deficiencies raised concerns about the “integrity, transparency, reliability, and propriety of financial assistance grants” under AICS, the audit agency said.

Of the P397.45 million in overlapping payments, P366 million went to AICS beneficiaries who were also registered under the DSWD’s Ayuda para sa Kapos ang Kita Program.

“These issues exposed flaws in beneficiary validation and cross-matching processes, notably the lack of an effective system to quickly identify prior assistance receipts,” CoA said.

The gaps could allow beneficiaries to receive duplicate or inappropriate aid within a short period, undermining equitable resource distribution, operational efficiency, and accountability while increasing the risk of undetected duplicate disbursements, it added.

CoA also found lapses in the implementation of AICS at the DSWD Field Office XI, including deviations from the standard P5,000 allocation per beneficiary. Some recipients received amounts ranging from P800 to P10,000.

The field office also relied on a referral-based system to select beneficiaries for offsite cash assistance distribution, covering P2.67 billion.

Auditors further noted insufficient monitoring of AICS fund transfers to local government units and inadequate oversight of the selection of recipient LGUs.

The report also cited a concentration of payouts during the election period in Region XI, with visibility observed at distribution sites.

CoA warned that such practices could expose the program to political gatekeeping and undermine the public’s equitable access to financial assistance.

“Collectively, these deficiencies highlight a material threat to the transparency, accountability, and lawful administration of AICS funds under the Offsite Implementation framework,” the report said.

To address the findings, CoA urged DSWD officials to establish a strict, time-bound schedule requiring field offices with identified deficiencies to validate their records and prevent further irregular disbursements.

The audit agency emphasized the need to strengthen beneficiary verification, cross-matching and monitoring systems to protect public funds and ensure the assistance reaches eligible recipients.