Revised Guidelines on the Implementation of Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation

May 10, 2019

DSWD MEMORANDUM CIRCULAR NO. 11, S. 2019

REVISED GUIDELINES ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF ASSISTANCE TO INDIVIDUALS IN CRISIS SITUATION

I. RATIONALE

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) as the leader in social protection is mandated to contribute to better and improved quality of life for the citizenry. Priority attention shall be given to the poor, vulnerable and marginalized sectors of the society. Hence, it implements social welfare, social protection and anti-poverty programs, projects and services such as the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS), among others. HTcADC

To strengthen the implementation of AICS under the Protective Services Program, Memorandum Circular (MC) No. 2, series of 2014 entitled, the "Guidelines in the Implementation of the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS)" was issued. Subsequently, MC No. 9, series of 2016 and MC No. 11, series of 2016 were issued as supplements in the implementation of AICS.

The Department is provided with an increased funding for the Protective Services Program which shall be used to provide financial assistance to individuals and families so that the vulnerable and marginalized individuals and families needing immediate intervention may have access to basic services. In this context, AICS serves as a social safety net or stop-gap measure to support the recovery of individuals and families suffering from unexpected life event or crisis. The provision of psychosocial intervention and/or direct financial/material assistance may enable them to meet their basic needs in the form of food, transportation, medical, educational and burial assistance.

The audit conducted by the Internal Audit Service (IAS) of the Department on AICS, both at the Central Office and Field Offices level, had identified a number of risks. Though the observed risks were already complied with, it was noted that some still persist. Thus, there is a need to enhance and strengthen the aforementioned MCs not only to address the issues and concerns obtaining from implementation but, more importantly, to prevent the occurrence of persistent risks and ensure the efficient and effective delivery of services to the clients. Also, this enhancement is consistent with Republic Act (RA) No. 11032, otherwise known as the "Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018." CAIHTE

II. LEGAL BASES

This guidelines is in consonance with the provisions of the following:

1. Article II, Section 11 of the Philippine Constitution provides that, "The State values the dignity of every human person and guarantees the full respect for human rights." The Constitution also provides that the, "State recognizes the role of women in nation building and shall ensure the fundamental equality before the law of men and women";

2. RA No. 11032, which requires less documentary requirements and reduced processing time in the availment of AICS;

3. Executive Order No. 15, which provides that DSWD is mandated to provide assistance to local government units (LGUs), non-government organizations (NGOs), other national government agencies (NGAs), people's organization (POs) and other members of civil society in effectively implementing programs, projects and services that will alleviate poverty and empower disadvantaged individuals, families and communities for an improved quality of life; aScITE

4. Administrative Order (AO) No. 54, series of 2003 or the Implementing Guidelines on the Management of the DSWD Operated Crisis Intervention Unit;

5. AO No. 75, series of 2003 or the Amended Implementing Guidelines on the Management of the DSWD Operated Crisis Intervention Unit.

III. OBJECTIVES

This circular is issued to guide the officials and staff of the Department in the effective and efficient delivery of services to individuals and families in crisis situation or difficult circumstances. Specifically, it shall:

1. Provide guidance on the provision of AICS and interventions to aid in the recovery of the poor, vulnerable and disadvantaged individuals and families in crisis situation or difficult circumstances;

2. Provide guidance on the use of funds to support the implementation of the program; and

3. Harmonize all existing policies related to AICS and streamline the processes to comply with RA No. 11032.

IV. DEFINITION OF TERMS

For purposes of these guidelines, the following terms are defined:

1. Target Beneficiaries — are individuals and/or families who are indigent, vulnerable, disadvantaged or are otherwise in crisis situation based on the assessment of the Social Workers.

2. Crisis Situation — pertains to a condition whereby an individual or group of persons are faced with a different and stressful situation resulting to the impairment of his/her psychosocial functioning thereby needing series of interventions to prevent further exposure to vulnerabilities, exploitation and abuse.

3. Transients — are individuals, family or group of people who have no place to stay and who are in need if temporary shelter.

4. Repatriates — are individuals, family and groups who were sent back to the Philippines due to the presence of war, calamities and other circumstance of similar nature in the host foreign country.

5. Deportees — are individuals and groups who have been involuntarily returned or sent back to the Philippines due to lack of necessary legal documents or involvement in illegal or criminal activities in the host foreign country.

6. Abandoned individuals — refer to minors, adults and elderly who have been deserted or left behind by either their family or relatives.

7. Students-in-crisis — are those who are victims of displacement, abuse, bread winner, children of OFs, children of unemployed parents and those who are in crisis brought about by human induced or natural calamities. HEITAD

8. Former rebels — members of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), New People's Army (NPA) and National Democratic Front (NDF) who surfaced and expressed their desire to abandon arm struggle and become productive members of society.

9. Killed-in-Action/Wounded-in-Action (KIA/WIA) — are individuals who were killed or wounded during police or military operation.

V. GENERAL POLICIES

1. The provision of financial and material assistance to clients shall be based on the assessment and recommendation of the Department's social workers, duly approved by its authorized officials.

2. The eligibility of clients to receive the needed service(s) shall be established through interviews, home visits and/or submission of necessary documents which are indicated in the Implementing Procedures section.

3. The maximum amount to be provided to clients shall be based on the parameter indicated in this guidelines, which shall be reviewed periodically.

4. Partnerships with partner stakeholders such as hospitals, drugstores/pharmacies, transport companies, funeral parlors and other service providers shall be established by the Department to ensure that referred clients are able to receive the needed services immediately. Contract/s or Memoranda of Agreement (MOA) may be entered into by the Department with qualified service providers in accordance with pertinent regulations. aDSIHc

5. In no case shall the implementation of AICS be delegated and/or transferred to any accredited non-government organizations or people's organization. AICS must be directly implemented by the social workers of the Department.

VI. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION AND COVERAGE

AICS is provision of integrated services to individuals and families in crisis or difficult situation through the Department's Central Office/Field Offices' Crisis Intervention Unit/Section (CIU/CIS) and Social Welfare and Development (SWAD) Satellite Office. 1 The beneficiaries of the program may seek assistance directly from the CIU/CIS or SWAD or through referral.

The integrated services under the program may be in the form of psychosocial intervention or direct financial and material assistance. Proper endorsement to other offices, centers, government agencies and non-government organizations is likewise employed to ensure that the need(s) of the client will be fully served.

The services under AICS are the following:

1. Financial and Material Assistance — Financial assistance is the provision of monetary support in the form of outright cash and/or guarantee letter to augment the resources of the client (see rates of assistance) whereas material assistance is the provision of non-food items. These are further classified into: ATICcS

a. Transportation Assistance — the assistance for the purchase or payment of transport (air/sea/land) tickets and/or expenses to enable the client/s to return to his/her/their home provinces permanently or seek further medical interventions in another place, or to attend to emergency concerns such as death, care, or other emergency or critical situations of family members, relatives, or other individuals in need. This includes those that require immediate presence, such as but not limited to, attendance to a court hearing, rescue of abused relative, etc.

 Procured ticket shall be issued to the client unless in instances when giving outright cash is more convenient as discussed in the section on Provision of Assistance under the Implementing guidelines.

b. Medical Assistance — the assistance to help shoulder hospitalization expenses, cost of medicines, other medical treatment or procedures such as implants, laboratory procedures including but not limited to computerized tomography (CT) scan, electrocardiogram (ECG), echocardiogram (2D Echo) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and provision of assistive device. Other medical expenses such as professional fees may be covered. ETHIDa

 Birthing is not covered, unless the patient suffered from complications during delivery, subject to the assessment of the social worker. The client shall not be entitled to in-patient financial assistance except for instances when the drug or treatment is not available in the hospital or covered by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth).

c. Burial Assistance — the assistance to defray funeral and related expenses, including but not limited to expenses in bringing the remains to the residence of the deceased and/or burial site in accordance with existing customary practices of the family especially among Indigenous Peoples and Moros.

 Due to a disaster/calamity/critical events or similar circumstances where there are casualties in the family, the surviving family shall be given an outright cash in the amount of P10,000 for each casualty, without need of a case study report.

d. Educational Assistance — a form of assistance given to eligible students to help defray school expenses and/or cost of sending students/children to school such as school fees, supplies, projects, allowance and other related expenses which will be provided once in a school/academic year for students, with priority shall be given to working students in public high school, vocational/technological schools, state colleges and universities. A maximum of three (3) children per family shall be entitled to this assistance.

 However, this may be given to a student who, although not indigent, is assessed by the social worker to have an extreme need therefor based on his/her family's current condition to include victims of displacement and repatriated/deported Overseas Filipinos (OFs), among others.

 In no case shall this assistance be given to cover expenses for graduate and post-graduate studies.

 A separate guidelines shall be issued to provide details on the implementation of this assistance.

e. Food Assistance — the provision of assistance to client(s) in need would be provided up to a maximum of ten (10) days for an amount of at least P80.00 per meal per individual. It includes hot meals, food/meal allowance, or cash equivalent to the cost of the required hot meals and/or food packs.

 Eligible client(s) shall include those caring for sick relatives or relative/s in the hospital, grantee(s) of transportation assistance on his/her/their return to their home province or attendance to court hearings, People Who Use Drugs (PWUD) and their families, rescued trafficked individuals, former rebels, distressed OFs, stranded individuals due to emergency situations (such as, but not limited to, human-induced and natural calamities) and alike. cSEDTC

f. Cash Assistance for other support services — an assistance in the form of outright cash provided to individuals and families in extremely difficult circumstances in which the need does not fall on the above-mentioned assistance, such as but not limited to, a child victim of online sexual exploitation and other sexual abuse cases, families of KIA/WIA uniformed personnel (police and soldiers), repatriated or deported OFs, Persons Living with HIV, rescued individuals/families against abuse, family and children of PWUD, survivor-victims of violence against women and children, rebel returnees, victims of fire, armed conflict and other incidents/occurrence putting those affected in crisis situation, as may be justified by the social worker or through a case consultation/conference.

2. Psychosocial Intervention — a set of interventions that is of non-biomedical means to positively alter a person's behavior and relationship with the society in order to reduce the impact of stress brought about by a crisis. It may be provided with, but not limited to, cognitive or behavioral therapies. Basically, it involves giving immediate relief to psychological and emotional issues under specific circumstances.

3. Referral for Other Services — refers to assistance that are not available at the CIU or SWAD Satellite Office but can be accessed from other resources and/or networks. This involves, but is not limited to, referrals to appropriate agencies for legal services, psychosocial interventions and even admission to residential facilities for temporary shelter. AIDSTE

DOCUMENTARY REQUIREMENTS FOR EACH ASSISTANCE

The client seeking assistance shall bring and submit to the respective CIU or SWAD Satellite Office the following documentary requirements (certified true copy or photocopy of such documents) to be certified by the assigned Social Worker:

 

Type	Documents
Transportation Assistance	• Any valid identification card of the client/person to be interviewed; and • Police Blotter; or • Police Certification (for victims of pick pockets, illegal recruitment, etc.); or • Other supporting document/s such as, but not limited to, justification of the social worker, medical certificate, death certificate, and/or court order/subpoena.   * Barangay Certificate of Residency or Certificate of Indigency or Certificate of the Client is in Need of Assistance may be required.
Medical Assistance	• Any valid identification card of the client/person to be interviewed; and • Case Study Report that the client is in crisis situation issued by the Department social worker, Local Social Welfare and Development Officer or Case Summary issued by the Medical Social Worker, for availment of services more than P5,000.00; • Medical Certificate or Medical Abstract with date of issuance, complete name, signature and license number of the attending physician (issued within 3 months); and • If payment for hospital bill — Hospital Bill/Statement of Account (Outstanding Balance) with complete name and signature of the Billing Clerk; or • If for medicines/assistive devices — Prescription with date of issuance, complete name, signature and license number of the attending physician; or • If for medical procedures — Laboratory requests with date of issuance, complete name, signature and license number of the attending physician.   * Barangay Certificate of Residency or Certificate of Indigency or Certificate of the Client is in Need of Assistance may be required.
Burial Assistance	• Any valid identification card of the client/person to be interviewed; and • Death Certificate or Certification from the Tribal Chieftain (for IPs), Imam (for Moro) or Doctor or authorized medical practitioner, in the absence of a death certificate; and • Funeral Contract (except for Muslim and Indigenous People performing customary practices);   For transfer of cadaver: • Death Certificate or Certification from the Tribal Chieftain (for IPs), Imam (for Moro) or Doctor or authorized medical practitioner, in the absence of a death certificate; and • Transfer Permit (except for Moro and Indigenous Peoples performing customary practices), if applicable.   * Barangay Certificate of Residency or Certificate of Indigency or Certificate of the Client is in Need of Assistance may be required.
Educational Assistance	• Any valid identification card of the client/person to be interviewed; and • Enrolment Assessment Form or Certificate of Enrolment or Registration; • Validated school ID of the student/beneficiary; and • Statement of Account for College Students. * Barangay Certificate of Residency or Certificate of Indigency or Certificate of the Client is in Need of Assistance may be required.
Food Assistance	• Any valid identification card of the client/person to be interviewed; and   For residents/clients in CRCFs: • Project proposal; and • Food distribution list.   * Barangay Certificate of Residency or Certificate of Indigency or Certificate of the Client is in Need of Assistance may be required.
Cash Assistance for other support services	• Any valid identification card of the client/person to be interviewed; and,   Depending on the circumstance of the client: • Police Report or Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) Report/Certification for fire victims; or • Passport, Travel Document(s), Certification from OWWA or the Barangay or any proof of repatriation by the OF; or • A certification from the Social Worker or Case Manager for rescued clients; or • Police Blotter and Social Worker Certificate for Victims of On-line Sexual Exploitation of Children.   * Barangay Certificate of Residency or Certificate of Indigency or Certificate of the Client is in Need of Assistance may be required

 

VII. IMPLEMENTING PROCEDURES

The following procedures shall be followed: SDAaTC

1. Screening and Verification — A screening process shall be undertaken by the designated DSWD staff to ensure the completeness and correctness of the documentary requirements. The original or certified true copy of the applicable requirements must be exhibited by the client.

Complete documentary requirements shall be condition precedent in the processing and release of assistance to a client.

Verification through the Crisis Intervention Monitoring System (CrIMS) or any existing database system shall be employed for all clients.

2. Assessment

The assessment shall determine the eligibility of the client to avail the services during the interview and on the supporting documents presented. The social worker shall determine the capacity of the family in addressing the problem looking keenly on the available resources that the family could utilize. The assessment of the social worker shall be the basis for the recommendation and will be indicated in the social case summary which can also be written in the General Intake Sheet (GIS) or a separate document (i.e., certificate of eligibility). The client who may be assisted using psychosocial intervention must be attended to by the social worker with the tenet(s) of the applicable intervention as guide. AaCTcI

During the assessment, the social worker attending to the client may do coordination with partners such as but not limited to: hospital conduction, medical services and coordination for billing discounts. This is employed to assist the social worker in determining the appropriate assistance.

3. Provision of Assistance

a. The type and rates of assistance shall be as follows:

 

Type	Particulars	Cost of Assistance		Frequency of Availment
Minimum	Maximum

Transportation Assistance	Land travel	Actual cost based onticket quotation.	Once every Six (6) Months
Sea travel
Air travel

Medical Assistance	Hospital bill/other medical expenses	1,000.00	150,000.00	Once every Three (3) Months
Medicines (out-patient)	Actual amount/cost	10,000.00
Laboratory Procedures (out-patient)	Actual amount	10,000.00
Burial Assistance	Funeral Expenses	5,000.00	25,000.00	The availment of one service shall exclude the availment of others of the same category
Transfer of Cadaver	5,000.00	25,000.00
Casualties during disaster/calamity (see Scope and Coverage)		10,000.00 (per casualty)
Educational Assistance (Maximum of 3 children per family)	Elementary Students	500.00	1,000.00	Once every school year
High School Students	1,000.00	1,500.00
College Students	2,000.00	5,000.00	Once every Semester (varies per region)
Food Assistance	Food Subsidy for individuals/families	1,000.00	3,000.00	"As Needed"
Cash Assistance	Other Needs	1,000.00	10,000.00	Once every Six 6 months for a maximum of one year

 

 The above schedule shall not prohibit the social worker from recommending a higher amount, subject to his/her assessment and justification of the client's circumstances as stated in the Social Case Study Report (SCSR). Provided that this kind of assistance shall be validated by the CIU Head and approved by the Division Chief. acEHCD

 These rates of assistance may be reviewed and adjusted from time to time, subject to the approval of the Secretary.

b. Modes of Assistance

i. Outright Cash

 For the assistance of P10,000.00 and below, the entitled client shall claim it from the designated disbursing officer within the day depending on the availability of funds. Outright cash may be provided to clients who will be travelling through several modes of transport to defray the costs. Food assistance may also be given.

 For payouts conducted by SWAD, assistance to clients shall be released within seven (7) days.

ii. Guarantee Letter (GL)

 Assistance through the issuance of a guarantee letter (GL) shall be addressed to the service providers. The social worker prepares the said GL, bearing the assistance to be provided and the amount thereof. In issuing GL for assistance of very minimal amount, utmost consideration shall be the exigency of the need of the client vis-à-vis the main objective of the program to provide assistance to those in crisis or difficult circumstance. EcTCAD

 The GL is considered an urgent document and shall be prioritized for signing by concerned approving officers, encoded in the document tracking system (DTS) and released within the day or up to three (3) days for GL up to P75,000, and a maximum of seven (7) working days for up to P150,000, depending on the availability of funds.

 When released, the GL shall be presented by the client to the concerned service provider for the availment of assistance based on the approved amount. The check equivalent to the amount guaranteed shall be made payable directly to said service provider. In justifiable cases, not limited to transportation of cadaver or immediate transportation assistance, payment may also be through Authority to Debit Account (ADA) or any non-cash financial instrument, as may be appropriate under the circumstance.

c. Approving Authority

 The following range of financial assistance shall be approved by the officials identified below or their authorized alternate, viz.: SDHTEC

 

AMOUNT	FIELD OFFICE	CENTRAL OFFICE
Up to P10,000	CIU/CIS Head/SWAD Team Leader	CIU/CIS Head
P10,001 to P50,000	Division Chief	Division Chief of PMB or designated Office
P20,001 to P50,000	Assistant Bureau Director of PMB or designated Office
P50,001 to P75,000	Assistant Regional Director or ARDA, in the absence of ARDO	Bureau Director of PMB or based on the succession order
P75,001 to P150,000	Regional Director	Undersecretary for Operations or designated Cluster head
Above P150,000	Secretary or Designated OIC	Secretary or Designated OIC

 

 In the absence of the approving officers, the signatory shall be the alternate based on succession of authority.

 For auditing purposes, the Certificate of Eligibility and all other supporting documents, except the GIS, shall be submitted to the Financial Management Service (FMS)/Unit (FMU).

4. Referral Services

The CIU-CO social worker issues a referral letter to concerned FO or LGU in favor of a client who needs AICS and other parochial/local services that should be catered thereby. HSAcaE

For all other services of the Department, the social worker further, must refer the client to the bureau/office implementing the program(s) that may respond to his or her need. Endorsement to other national government agencies, partner NGOs, CSOs, residential care facilities (for protective custody) and others shall be done if the programs or resources of the DSWD could not meet the client's need.

If necessary, the social worker handling the case shall prepare a case summary indicating his/her assessment and recommendation, and shall include it in the referral letter of the client. He/she may escort the client to the referred agency for proper endorsement. In all cases, the CIU/CIS shall coordinate accordingly to ensure that the referrals are immediately and properly acted upon. Coordination with Local Social Welfare Development Officer for the after-care and other social welfare support services for the client shall likewise be done by the CIU/CIS.

VIII. ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS

1. Personnel

DSWD shall strengthen the structure and sustain the personnel requirements of the CO and its FOs particularly the SWAD to be able to deliver the AICS services at the time they need such service. Special disbursing arrangements may be undertaken in selected and/or difficult-to-reach areas, if found necessary under the circumstances. AScHCD

2. Minimum Workforce Complement

The minimum workforce complement of the CIU/CIS at the Field and SWAD offices shall be submitted by each FO to PMB for appropriate action.

3. Special Disbursing Officer (SDO) Designation

The FO shall designate a dedicated finance officer as the primary SDO for its CIU/CIS and SWAD. Additional Special Disbursing Officers may be designated subject to the fidelity bond requirement. The SWAD Team Leader for DSWD FOs may also act as the SDO of the SWAD CIU Office whenever necessary, provided he/she is eligible.

The designated SDO of the satellite office shall be bonded with a minimum cash advance of P500,000.00 as may be determined by the estimated needs of the SWAD. The disbursement of the cash advance shall be subject to liquidation as soon as the purpose of the cash advance has been served in accordance with auditing rules. A system of liquidation and reimbursement process shall be established by the FO/SWAD to ensure the availability of cash any time. Immediate replenishment of cash shall be ensured for the continuous operation of the SWAD.

4. Partnership with Service Providers

To reduce the amount of cash advance to be bonded to the SDO of the SWAD, to limit the releases of outright cash assistance to clients, and to ensure that they are provided with the service solicited, the FOs, through its respective SWAD, shall establish partnership with service providers for the delivery of assistance to CIU/CIS clients. Specifically, the service providers shall facilitate the provision of assistance/services to the client through credit basis in accordance with the existing accounting and auditing rules and regulations. HESIcT

The identification of a service provider shall be based on the preference of the clients who will seek or engage the service. There shall be no exclusivity in engaging a service provider provided it expresses willingness to accept DSWD issued guarantee letter and credit line.

A MOA between the DSWD FO/CO (CIU) and the service provider may be entered into formalizing the details of the partnership and specifically indicating the allowable maximum credit per service provider, the requirement of a statement of account, and the billing period, among others; provided that all MOAs entered into in the FOs may be forwarded to the CO. Partnerships with service providers covering national in scope, such as specialty hospitals and/or drug stores, shall be entered into by the CO.

5. Cash Releases through Off-Site Serbisyo

In the event that there will be cash release thru Off-Site Serbisyo, the following shall be considered:

a. The off-sites shall be determined by the Regional Directors or their duly authorized representatives from any of the following: public schools, barangay halls, Child Development Centers, multi-purpose halls and covered courts. In selecting the venue, primary consideration shall be the safety and well-being of the beneficiaries and DSWD service providers. AcICHD

b. Off-site release shall be made only during office days and office hours.

c. Proper coordination with the FO and CO appropriate authorities/officials shall be made for the pre, during and post offsite release activities e.g., Department Security Office of GASSG at CO, PNP, and AFP, as applicable.

6. A certification setting forth that all Guaranteed Letters issued and unobligated as of December 15 of each year must be submitted and requested for obligation of funds to avoid unbooked obligations to be submitted to FMS. The appropriate CIU/CIS Officer must prepare the Obligation Request Status per service provider for the purpose.

Relative to this, mechanisms shall be set forth in consideration of the full implementation of the cash-based budgeting system. The FMS shall issue appropriate guidance particularly referring to the implementation of AICS.

7. The Protective Services Division or assigned division at the FO shall facilitate the overall implementation and monitoring of the program. CIU at the CO and FO-CIS shall maintain a databank of the assistance provided to the clients. This shall include information about the client, his/her location, and the type and amount of assistance received. A Department databank shall be established by the PMB in partnership with the DSWD Information and Communication Technology and Management Service (ICTMS).

8. Operation of the Crisis Intervention Units (CIUs)

The CIU nationwide operates generally on weekdays within the core time from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, as long as clients are inside the premises of the Office and shall abide to "no noon break" policy. 2 A reporting schedule shall be devised for the CIU/CIS staff, which shall consider welfare and to allow their well-being. Reporting time-in of 7:00 AM so as to process and accommodate clients who came in early and time-out at 5:00 PM and beyond should be considered in the schedule. The Unit may likewise consider devising flexible batches of reporting such as 7:00 am to 4:00 pm, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm and 9:00 am to 6:00 pm. The staff assigned should report at least 30 minutes before his/her reporting schedule.

The 8-hour work schedule shall be observed strictly but in the exigency of service, the staff may render overtime which may be compensated with overtime pay or compensatory time/day off, subject to the existing policies of the Department. The assignment of staff may be rotated every other two (2) weeks or on a manner most appropriate.

IX. GRIEVANCE MECHANISM

The PMB and the FOs shall establish a Grievance Redress System (GRS) to respond to complaints received from various clients and stakeholders, thus:

1. A grievance desk that will act on the complaints, through verification with the concerned staff and conduct further investigation, if necessary, shall be maintained. TAIaHE

2. A complaint not resolved at the PMB or FO level, shall be referred to the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Statutory Program. Endorsement by the FO shall be thru PMB, which shall conduct the assessment and make proper recommendation/s to the Assistant Secretary for Statutory Program.

3. Actions taken on grievance received will form part of the quarterly accomplishment report. Should there be grievances it may be dovetailed to the existing Integrated Grievance Redress System (IGRS).

X. REPORTING, MONITORING AND EVALUATION

1. A monthly and quarterly report indicating the physical and financial data/information and a quarterly narrative analysis on the status of implementation shall be submitted by the FO to the PMB every 10th day of the succeeding month, with copies provided to the Office of the Undersecretary for Operations and Assistant Secretary for Statutory Programs. The PMB shall prepare a consolidated physical and financial report for submission to the Office of the Secretary.

2. The PMB shall be the primary office responsible to monitor and provide TA to FOs in the implementation of AICS in collaboration with the Office of the Undersecretary for Operations and the Assistant Secretary for Statutory Programs. In coordination with the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Statutory Programs, Mid-year Program Implementation Review shall be conducted by the CIU at the CO and each FO every Semester to track the status of implementation of the program while an Annual Program Evaluation and Planning Workshop every November to guide the targeting for the succeeding year. ICHDca

XI. EFFECTIVITY

This Circular shall take effect immediately and shall supersede all other issuances pertinent to provision of AICS that are inconsistent herewith.

Issued on May 10, 2019 in Quezon City.

(SGD.) ROLANDO JOSELITO D. BAUTISTASecretary

 

Footnotes

1. An extension unit of the Department, which serves as an action center to immediately respond to cases of individuals and families in crisis situations.

2. Provided that the CIU FO NCR shall have an on-call social worker.