The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) urged the public to be extra vigilant in engaging with any group or organization, following the recent incident that happened during a payout activity for the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) involving an allegedly ‘fraudulent’ senior citizens’ and persons’ with disability organization.
Based on the information received by the Department’s Crisis Intervention Division, which conducted the payout, the group is recruiting members and is requiring them to pay for the identification card worth P350 pesos as an assurance to receive financial assistance from the Department through the AICS.
The Department explained that senior citizens or persons with disability cards are not for sale and do not guarantee the availment of financial assistance. The Department emphasized that it is implementing screening and verification procedures, based on the DSWD Memorandum Circular No. 11 series of 2019 as amended by Memorandum Circular No. 24, series of 2020, during payouts to ensure the eligibility of possible beneficiaries of the program.
Through this protocol, the DSWD will be able to verify the legitimacy of the documents presented by clients while social workers will be able to conduct assessment in order to recommend appropriate amounts of assistance to be given to them, depending on their needs.
Furthermore, the DSWD reminded all sectors that programs and services of the Department can be availed of whether one is a member of an organization or not based on assessment.
The DSWD called on the public to report similar incidents to the Department through (028) 931-81010 to 07 or to any DSWD Field Office nationwide. ###
DSWD sa publiko: Maging mapanuri sa mga mapanlinlang na grupo
Nagpaalala ang Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) sa publiko na mas maging mapanuri sa pakikipag-ugnayan sa anumang grupo o organisasyon kasunod ng insidenteng naganap kamakailan lamang habang nagsasagawa ng pamamahagi ng financial assistance sa ilalim ng Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) na kinasangkutan ng di-umano’y isang senior citizens’ at persons’ with disability organization.
Base sa impormasyong nakalap ng DSWD Crisis Intervention Division, na siyang nagsagawa ng pamamahagi ng tulong, ang grupo ay nanghihikayat di-umano ng miyembro at naniningil ng bayad para sa identification card na nagkakahalaga ng P350 kapalit ng pangakong makatatangap sila ng financial assistance mula sa Ahensya sa ilalim ng AICS.
Ipinaliwanag ng DSWD na hindi ibinebenta ang identification cards ng mga senior citizen at person with disability at hindi din ito garantiya na makakakuha ng financial assistance. Binigyang diin ng Ahensiya na ang pamimigay ng financial assistance ay alinsunod sa DSWD Memorandum Circular No. 11 series of 2019 na inamiyendahan ng Memorandum Circular No. 24, series of 2020. Ayon sa polisiya, ang Ahensiya ay nagpapatupad ng ‘screening and verification procedure’ sa mga isinasagawang payout upang masigurong karapat-dapat ang mga benepisyaryong makakatanggap ng pinansyal na tulong.
Sa pamamamagitan din nito, nabeberipika ng ahensya kung legal ang mga dokumentong ipinapakita ng kliyente habang nakakapagsagawa naman ng assessment ang mga social worker bilang basehan nila sa pagrekomenda ng angkop na halaga ng tulong pinansiyal para sa benepisyaryo.
Nais paalalahan ang lahat ng sektor na maaaring makakuha ng programa o serbisyo ng DSWD kahit hindi kasapi ng isang samahan base sa assessment na isasagawa.
Nananawagan ang DSWD sa publiko na ipagbigay-alam ang mga ganitong insidente sa ahensya sa numero (028) 931-81010 to 07 o sa alinmang DSWD Field Office sa buong bansa. ###
