The Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development is a catch-all, all inclusive, stop-gap measure, with the assistance provided depending on the situation being faced by the client – whether poor or middle-class, an agency official said.
DSWD Director Edwin Morata of the Crisis Intervention Division (CID) also debunked prevailing perception that the AICS program was only for the poor and that the program was making the beneficiaries “lazy” and dependent on the agency.
“What is targeted here in AICS is the crisis situation, because we believe in the scientific view of the social worker that a person may have the ability to respond to his needs but there is a situation that shocked them and their capacity to provide for their situation. So, this is where AICS comes in,” Morata said.
The CID director also reiterated there was no need for a referral letter for those who are genuinely experiencing a crisis.
Those in need and would like to avail of the program may go directly to the DSWD offices nearest to their residences from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Mondays to Fridays, Morata said.
“AICS is a catch all. We don’t choose anyone here, rich or poor, with or without a job. If there is a situation that affects their individual methods, we help,” he added.
Aside from the poor and the vulnerable, the DSWD also provides the AICS to those financially incapacitated; internally displaced persons; and persons of concerns such as refugees, asylum seekers, and families of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).
“AICS is not merely ‘help.’ This is ‘ayuda’ with a heart and process. It’s not just about giving money here. Our social workers are really studying what aspects can be given to them contained in the program,” Morata said.
