The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) assured the Senate during deliberations for the agency’s proposed 2025 budget that it would revise the guidelines of the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS) program to expand medical-related aid through Malasakit Centers.
This commitment came during budget deliberations that began on Tuesday, November 19, and extended into the early hours of Wednesday, November 20, following persistent calls from Senator Christopher “Bong” Go for the DSWD to properly utilize its programs and resources to alleviate the burden of medical bills among poor Filipinos.
Go, Chair of the Senate Health Committee and a known health reforms crusader, highlighted the importance of streamlining aid for Filipinos, particularly those in medical distress. “Malaking ginhawa po ito sa ating mga kababayan… ang hirap po magkasakit, wala silang trabaho, wala silang malapitan.”
“Huwag pahirapan ang mga mahihirap at bilisan po ang paghahatid ng serbisyo sa nangangailangan, especially po itong AICS na para sa mga nangangailangan talaga. Ang tunay na pagmamalasakit, walang pinipili, walang pinapaboran, at walang halong pulitika. Do not be selective! Sabi ko nga sa inyo, kayo na nagsabi, sabi nyo nga, bawat buhay mahalaga sa DSWD,” Go stated.
In accordance with Republic Act 11463, the Malasakit Centers Act of 2019, principally sponsored and authored by Go, medical assistance is mandated to be provided in Malasakit Centers through participating agencies, including the DSWD, under AICS guidelines. Specifically, Section 9 of the law states that Malasakit Centers shall facilitate access to medical and financial assistance, including the DSWD financial assistance based on existing Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS) guidelines.
A Joint Administrative Order (JAO) serves as the basis for uniform guidelines among the four participating agencies—the DSWD, the Department of Health (DOH), Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), and the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO).
Under the current JAO, the AICS allocation for Malasakit Centers is limited only to financial aid for transportation, burial, and food assistance. To take full advantage of the AICS program, beneficiaries still have to proceed to DSWD offices to request medical assistance—a process that Go has pointed out defeats the very purpose of Malasakit Centers as a one-stop shop for streamlined access to healthcare and social services.
The Senator cited the prolonged delay in the signing of the amendments to the Joint Administrative Order (JAO). Amendments to the current JAO were proposed more than a year ago to allow the DSWD to utilize its funds and give medical assistance in Malasakit Centers to significantly lessen the hospital bills of patients.
Meanwhile, Go called out the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) for causing the delay of expanded medical assistance that Filipinos are poised to receive through the Malasakit Centers Program since the PCSO has yet to sign the revised JAO.
“Pumirma po ang DOH, pumirma po ang PhilHealth, pumirma po ang DSWD, ang isang opisina o ahensya, ang PCSO, ang hindi pa po pumipirma. Siguro, marahil, meron talagang ahensya na ayaw tumulong sa mga kababayan nating mahihirap,” said Go.
The Senator emphasized that due to the absence of a revised JAO, patients are still compelled to proceed to DSWD offices to request for additional medical assistance — a bureaucratic challenge which Go says is counter to the essence of Malasakit Centers as a one-stop shop for streamlined access to assistance.
Pending a revised JAO, Go urged the DSWD to modify its internal guidelines on the utilization of the AICS funds to include medical assistance in Malasakit Centers as an interim solution. He proposed leveraging department orders to address urgent needs, to which the DSWD agreed.
“Ang pinag-uusapan po natin dito, nasa batas naman po na mandato ng apat na ahensya ng gobyerno – PCSO, PhilHealth, DOH, at DSWD – kasama po kayo diyan, even without a JAO,” Go reminded the concerned agencies.
Emphasizing the urgency of the matter, Go stressed, “I am addressing this to Secretary (Rex) Gatchalian, baka pwede ninyo munang – while waiting po, naghintay tayo ng 14 months – malaking kawalan po yun sa mahihirap nating pasyente na hindi nila ma-avail ang medical assistance ng AICS ng DSWD dahil hindi po mapirma-pirmahan po ang JAO.”
“‘Yun lang po ang pakiusap ko, Sec. Rex, baka pwede ninyong matulungan, ma-expedite… Alam ko naman gusto mo ring matulungan ang ating mga kababayang mahihirap,” he added.
Pointing out that Filipinos in need of medical assistance should not bear the consequences of the absence of a revised JAO, Go asked the DSWD, “While waiting for the approval of the JAO… Pwede ninyo namang i-revise ang inyong AICS guidelines at i-implement yan through a Department Order? Mandato po natin na nasa gobyerno na tumulong sa mga mahihirap… bakit hindi po ito mapapatupad?”
The DSWD then made a commitment to revise its internal guidelines on the utilization of the AICS through a Department Order so that medical assistance can be made available in Malasakit Centers, therefore fulfilling its purpose as a one stop shop, instead of patients needing to seek further help at other offices which causes bureaucratic challenges and additional burdens faced by patients.
The department also disclosed that it has rolled out a pilot project in Pampanga wherein social workers email guarantee letters directly to hospitals, bypassing the need for patients to travel to DSWD offices.
Meanwhile, Go also appealed to the DSWD to act swiftly, emphasizing that the AICS program should be maximized for the benefit of struggling Filipinos. “Alam ko naman gusto mo ring matulungan ang ating mga kababayang mahihirap. Dahil ito nga yung AICS… ibalik po natin sa kanila ang mabilis na serbisyo,” Go said.
“Yun lang po hinihingi kong assurance… ibalik po ang pera ng mga kababayan natin sa mahihirap. Yun lang po ang pakiusap ko,” Go appealed.
Go illustrated the real-life impact of these delays by presenting a common scenario. “May billing po ang isang pasyente, PHP 87,000. Alam naman natin ang PhilHealth, ang case rate nila, minsan ang binabawas… PHP 5,000; meron pa siyang PHP 82,000. Mangungutang pa ito, isasangla pa yung carabao, ibebenta yung refrigerator para makalabas po sa ospital,” Go lamented.
During the same plenary session where the health budget was also tackled, Senator Alan Peter Cayetano voiced concerns similar to those of his colleague.
“So, sabi nga ni Bong Go, e ‘di pupunta pa sa opisina mo, ‘di mag-a-absent pa ng half day or one-third day. Tapos, pipila pa ‘yan,” Cayetano added.
