1M Pinoys receive medical aid from DSWD’s AICS in H1 2025

MANILA - Close to 1 million Filipinos in need have received medical help from the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) in the first half of 2025.

The agency said a total of 953,560 clients were assisted by the agency’s Operations Group Crisis Intervention Unit (CIU) with more than PHP8.5 billion in medical aid from January to June.

Majority of the clients or 670,825 have secured medical aid in outright cash assistance while 282,735 clients were given guarantee letters (GLs) to cover hospitalization costs, medicine, and diagnostic procedures.

Outright cash can go up to PHP10,000 in medical aid while GLs are often issued to clients to assist them in settling hospital bills or buying maintenance medicines.

The DSWD also reported that 88,082 clients were served through Malasakit Centers located in public hospitals.

“Masaya po tayo na marami po tayong natutulungan, dahil mandato natin ay maabot ang mga nangangailangan nating kababayan to the best of our ability. Bilin din po ito ng ating Pangulong Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. dahil para sa kanya ang bawat buhay mahalaga (We are happy to serve a lot of people because it is mandate to reach out to fellow Filipinos in need. This is also in line with the directives of President Marcos, because for him, every life is precious),” Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao said in a news release on Wednesday.

The DSWD spokesperson said the provision of medical assistance under the AICS continues to ensure that Filipinos struggling to cover the financial costs of their health and medical needs are met with a helping hand from the government.

“A sudden illness or medical emergency can cripple a family that is already struggling. The same can be said sa mga kliyente natin na kahit may kaya or kita pero ‘pag may nagkasakit sa pamilya, nahaharap sa malaking dagok at krisis (to our clients who, even though they have the means, were suddenly plunged into crisis when a family member gets sick). Through our AICS program, we provide appropriate support so they can avail of needed medical services or interventions, and eventually recover,” she said.

The DSWD official assured that every client undergoes thorough assessment by social workers to determine the amount to be provided, whether it is for maintenance medicines, crucial medical treatment or lingering illness that needs regular medical interventions.

“Medical aid is one of the most concrete ways we fulfill our role as lead agency in social safety nets. We do not want any Filipino to be left alone during their most vulnerable moment and rest assured that the direction of the developments or innovations that we are leading are always for the best interest of our kababayans (compatriots),” Dumlao said.

Among those who benefited from the AICS was Mary Rose Hermosure from Tondo, Manila who sought medical help from the DSWD and eventually received a GL amounting to PHP300,000 to pay for her mother’s hospital bill.

She attested to the professional but swift assessment process she underwent.

“Although may pila, pero mabilis lang naman po ang pag-process po. Basic din naman po yung tinatanong nila kung bakit na-ospital ang mother ko, kung first time po ba na lumapit ako sa DSWD, mga ganun lang po yung mga tanong (Although there was a line, the process was quick. The questions asked were basic, like why my mother was hospitalized, if it’s my first time to ask for assistance for the DSWD, those types of questions),” Hermosure narrated.

“Masaya po kami na natulungan kami sa ganoong kalaking halaga po. Malaking tulong po siya actually kung i-base mo dun sa amount po nung hospital bill namin sapat na po, kasi hindi ko po expect na ganito nga po ang ibibigay sa aking tulong eh (We are very happy to be helped with such a big amount. It was a big help, in fact it was sufficient to pay the hospital bill, and I was not expecting to be given this large assistance),” she added.

The DSWD’s AICS has also helped in the successful operation of an 18-month-old baby who suffered from acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a serious form of blood cancer.

Andy Paul Argao, the father of baby Audria, said the DSWD’s financial support was crucial in ensuring that his baby would be provided with proper interventions.

“Napakalaking tulong po ng naibigay po ng DSWD dahil naging maganda po ‘yung takbo ng kanyang chemotherapy (Her chemotherapy proceeded smoothly because of the big help provided by the DSWD),” Argao said.

Audria’s fight against cancer has shown drastic improvement and is now on the way to full recovery, according to the DSWD.

Since 2014, the DSWD’s AICS medical assistance program has served more than 8.5 million clients. (PNA)

(2025/07/18-10:05)

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