The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) warned the public Friday, July 9, against some groups promising to grant assistance to individuals in crisis situations.
The DSWD cautioned the public against transacting with private organisations, particularly with the Senior Citizen and Elderly Welfare Club of the Philippines Inc. (SCEW).
“Nais ipagbigay-alam ng DSWD na huwag maniwala sa anumang grupong nagsasabi o nangangako na makatatanggap ng tulong ang mga taong magiging miyembro nito, katulad ng SCEW, na ginagamit ang pangalan ng kagawaran upang makapanghikayat sa publiko na maging miyembro ng kanilang grupo. (DSWD would like to advise the public not to believe any group such as SCEW, that says or promises assistance to all those who will be recruited as its members, using the name of the department to encourage the public to become part of the group),” it said in a Facebook post on Friday.
The social welfare department said the SCEW also supposedly encouraged their prospective members to purchase their Identification Cards and allegedly promised them to facilitate their assistance from the agency’s Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS) program.
Based on DSWD Memorandum Circular No. 11 series of 2019 as amended by Memorandum Circular 24 series of 2020, the AICS clients have to undergo assessment to avail of the needed financial assistance.
“Ang amin pong opisina ay may screening at verification na isinasagawa upang matukoy kung sino ang mga kwalipikadong benepisyaryo ng programa (Our office conducts screening and verification to determine the eligible program beneficiaries),” the DSWD pointed out.
In a statement, it said the AICS financial assistance, including the provision of food and non-food items, is extended to the qualified beneficiaries by the agency’s Crisis Intervention Unit (CIU) which is located at the Central Office in Batasan Hills, Quezon City, and by all DSWD Field Offices nationwide.
“CIU clients undergo assessment to avail of the needed assistance,” it said.
For more information about AICS, the public is advised to visit the following link: https://bit.ly/3ga3YmO.
The AICS program provides medical, educational, burial, transportation, food and non-food assistance in the form of outright cash to support the recovery of individuals and families suffering from unexpected life event or crisis such as illness or death of a family member, natural and human-induced emergencies, and other critical incidents.
The DSWD said most of the assistance sought after by clients were cash and food assistance, and psychosocial help.
Various Crisis Intervention Units (CIUs) at the DSWD Central Office, Field Offices, and Social Welfare Development (SWAD) satellite offices located in the provinces are facilitating the delivery of the aid.