The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) announced that beneficiaries of the defunded Ayuda sa Kapos ang Kita Program (AKAP) will now be accommodated under the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS), which has a ₱63.8 billion allocation for 2026.
Edwin Morata, director of the DSWD’s Crisis Intervention Program, said the agency has sufficient funding to absorb the 3.9 million former AKAP beneficiaries.
“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 kapag inalis sila, baka sabihin nila na wala na silang mapupuntahan. But rest assured, AICS is still there,” he explained.
The AKAP program, launched in 2024, assisted millions of low-income Filipinos with medical, burial, transportation, food aid, and Guarantee Letters (GLs), releasing ₱24 billion nationwide in 2025.
Morata emphasized that integrating AKAP into AICS ensures services are directed properly: “We partnered it under AICS to ensure that the right services are being provided to the right person, and for the right purpose.”
The DSWD highlighted that GLs prevent misuse of cash aid by ensuring assistance is spent strictly for approved purposes. Partnerships have been expanded with hospitals, therapy centers, pharmacies, supermarkets, and transport providers.
“Wala nang reason ang isang Pinoy na manghihingi sa amin para sabihing wala ang kailangan nila doon, at hihingi ng cash. That is why we are trying to give guarantee letters,” Morata added.
Qualified applicants must present a triggering circumstance, such as hospitalization or critical medical procedures, with relatives allowed to submit documents on their behalf. GLs can cover up to ₱150,000, with higher amounts possible for grave cases assessed by social workers.
The DSWD assured that the issuance of GLs and cash payouts will remain free from political interference.
Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian ordered strict non-partisanship, prohibiting politicians, tarpaulins, and signage in distribution areas, with payouts canceled if political presence is detected.