All field offices of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) across the country are functioning and processing social welfare requests, DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian said on Monday (July 8).

“One thing is for sure, that our Davao Field Office is functioning and catering to requests of constituents, as we speak,” Secretary Gatchalian said during a press conference after the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA ) signing between the DSWD and the Social Security System (SSS) for the inclusion of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) beneficiaries as SSS members.

The DSWD chief made the statement in reply to reports on the  alleged suspension of the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) in Davao Region.

The DSWD Field Office-11 (Davao Region) has issued an advisory that it continues to serve the constituents of the Davao Region, particularly those in need of medical and burial assistance and other support services.

The Field Office assured the public that its funds for the implementation of the AICS are sufficient and that it is ready to be of service to all Davaoeños.

For the first semester of 2024, the DSWD office in Davao Region has already served 273,305 clients with over Php1.5 billion in aid disbursed.

The AICS is under the DSWD’s protective services program that provides financial and material assistance, psycho-social support, and referral services to crisis-hit individuals and their families, as assessed by social workers. #