Manila: The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) provided aid to more than 6 million Filipinos facing difficult circumstances through its Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) program from January to November 2024.
According to Philippines News Agency, DSWD Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao reported that the number of clients served under the AICS program exceeded the 2024 annual target of 4,254,440 beneficiaries. “In 2023, we had an annual target of over one million for AICS but eventually the DSWD made some adjustments because we served four times the said number. For 2024, we raised it up to 4.2 million, and surpassed it again as we really strived to help as many people as we can within the bounds of our allotted budget,” Dumlao stated.
The majority of beneficiaries were from the National Capital Region, with over 820,000 individuals receiving assistance. The AICS program offered various interventions, including medical, food, cash, burial/funeral, transportation, and psychosocial support. Dumlao emphasized that food assistance, medical aid, and psychosocial support were the most requested services. Social workers assessed clients to determine the assistance types that best corresponded to their needs.
Additionally, more than 190,000 individuals benefited from services at Malasakit Centers nationwide. These centers, located in hospitals such as those of the Department of Health and the Philippine General Hospital, provide medical and cash aid to indigent and financially incapacitated patients from various government agencies.
The DSWD remains committed to sustaining protective services to support Filipinos in need, aligning with the vision of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s administration.
In another development, Dumlao reported that 1,560 trafficked persons received a comprehensive package of services in 2024 for their recovery and reintegration. The DSWD’s Recovery and Reintegration Program for Trafficked Persons (RRPTP) provided interventions to meet their psychosocial, social, and economic needs.
Services under the RRPTP included case management to assess challenges and determine needed interventions, as well as basic hygiene kits, food, and financial assistance while victim-survivors awaited employment or training opportunities. Educational and medical assistance were also extended, with referrals to potential employers or business partners underway.
Dumlao highlighted that the trafficking cases involved forced labor, sexual exploitation, prostitution, illegal recruitment, child trafficking, and repatriation. As the co-chair of the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking and the lead agency in social protection, the DSWD reaffirms its commitment to protecting victim-survivors of trafficking and any form of abuse, condemning acts of violence.
