Bicam OKs higher P63.8-B 'pork' aid

The bicameral conference committee has more than doubled the funding for the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS), to P63.8 billion from the amount proposed by Malacañang, despite concerns over the program's vulnerability to political misuse.

- By NEIL JAYSON SERVALLOS

President Marcos distributes Christmas gifts to beneficiaries of the Department of Social and Welfare and Development's 'Walang Gutom' Kitchen in Pasay City yesterday. Story on Page 2.

(NOEL PABALAT)

AICS, administered by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), is one of the pork barrel-type aid programs flagged by budget watchdogs as prone to patronage politics, along with the Medical Assistance to Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients. MAIFIP has been allotted P51 billion in 2026.

MAIFIP funds should instead go to the Philippine Health Insurance Corp., according to an alliance of at least 72 medical and health professionals' organizations.

Malacañang proposed P26.9 billion for AICS. The House of Representatives doubled this to P59.09 while the Senate endorsed P34 billion.

During bicameral deliberations, House appropriations committee chair Rep. Mikaela Angela Suansing claimed the request for additional funding originated from DSWD Sec. Rex Gatchalian, who was pushing for an expansion in the number of AICS beneficiaries.

Suansing said the secretary requested as much as P70 billion in total funding to accommodate an additional seven million recipients, but fiscal constraints limited what Congress could approve.

Senate finance committee chairman Sherwin Gatchalian, Rex’s brother, supported the increase, citing the scale of humanitarian needs following a succession of disasters including earthquakes and typhoons Uwan, Tino and Ramil that displaced millions of Filipinos.

He said the government faces recurring pressure to augment AICS funding toward the end of each year, as the program would usually run out of funding.