Around 14,000 who got duplicate, overlapping DSWD aid ‘temporarily blacklisted’

MANILA — Around 14,000 beneficiaries who received “duplicate” or “overlapping” aid in 2025 from the Department and Social Welfare and Development’s programs have been temporarily blacklisted, according to DSWD’s budget sponsor at the House of Representatives, Guimaras Rep. JC Rahman Nava.

Nava said if a similar incident occurs involving the same beneficiaries, the DSWD will file complaints against them.

He clarified that the number of the duplicate and overlapping beneficiaries of the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS) and the Ayuda Para sa Kapos ang Kita Program (AKAP) in 2025 is much less than the nearly 400,000 flagged by the Commission on Audit.

“COA reported P397.45 million in duplicate and overlapping AICS, AKAP payments in 2025, across the central office and 9 regional offices,” Philreca Party List Rep. Presley de Jesus said.

“The number that may be considered as the exact duplication, it’s in the range of 14,000 beneficiaries, far from the so-called almost 400,000 duplications mentioned by COA. This was already rectified by the department…The depatrment had totally flagged these beneficiaries, so they cannot avail of any assistance again from the department… It’s a temporary blacklisting,” Nava replied.

“If there will be another incident of such, then appropriate charges will be filed by the department against these clients,” he added.

In an interview, Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian said the DSWD is taking steps to prevent duplicate beneficiaries.

“Nami-minimize ‘yan kasi we make sure na una, nagma-manual (verification) kami ‘pag di kami sigurado… ‘yung sinabi ba sa aming tao ay totoo ba ‘yan… Mayroong pagkakataon na… minsan dala-dalawa ang ID, may cases na ‘yung middle initial iba, pero same name. We will strive harder na mawala ang duplicates na ‘yan,” he said.

“There is an ongoing or an embedded system for the cross matching prior to accepting the client,” Nava told the House plenary.

An estimated four million Filipinos may be affected if Congress does not restore to this year’s level the proposed budget for the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations program next year.

The 2027 National Expenditure Program proposed P33.3 billion funding for AICS, just about half of its P63.9 billion budget this year.

“The initial target for this year go up somewhere 6 to 8 million (beneficiaries). But with the reduction, approximately an estimate of 4 million will be disenfranchised because of the reduction of the AICS,” Nava said.

Gatchalian stressed the importance of augmenting the proposed AICS funding for next year amid the energy crisis. He said for this year, part of the budget for AICS was used to fund the Unified Package for Livelihood, Industry, Food and Transport (UPLIFT) program, a temporary intervention to cushion the effects of rising prices during the energy emergency on vulnerable Filipino families.

“Itong taon na ito, halos P9 billion agad ang nagugol natin para sa kulang dalawang milyong transpo workers noong kasagsagan ng energy emergency. Kung hindi dahil sa AICS na ito, wala tayong pagkukunan sa oras nang pangangailangan,” Gatchalian explained.

“Iyang pondo na ‘yan napaka-importante, kasi sabi nga sa survey ng SWS, pagkatapos nating UPLIFT assistance para sa transpo workers, 85% nagsabi nakatulong ‘yun para manatili sila sa hanapbuhay nila. Kung wala ‘yun, maaaring tumigil sila sa pasada nila. Kaya humihingi kami… ibalik sa original level na P63 billion, kasi nga may mga ganitong emergency. (01:31) Alam natin itong Gulf crisis, hindi pa naman ito tapos. Tuloy-tuloy pa siya, and we might feel the effect all the way to next year,” he added.

“Umaapela kami na sana maibalik. Kasi ang tantya namin, ‘pag hindi maibalik ‘yun, apat na milyon na indibidwal na lumalapit sa DSWD ang maaaring matanggihan namin next year. (05:00) Bulnerable pa rin ang marami sa mga mamamayan natin. Isang sakit mula sa kahirapan, isang kamatayan mula sa kahirapan. Isang bagyo mula sa kahirapan,” Gatchalian said.

The DSWD has requested the Department of Budget and Management to augment this year’s funding for AICS.

“Actually, mayroon pa, as we speak. Pero syempre dahil napakalawak ng pinapatulungnan ng ating Presidente, dahil gusto niya maraming matulungan, humingi na rin tayo ng fund augmentation mula sa DBM. Pero mayroon pa. May laman pa ang AICS account natin… Papadalhan pa tayo ng augmentation, since nagrequest tayo…‘Yung augmentation is enough to cover UPLIFT assistance, para ‘yung regular natin, nagagamit pa natin sa ibang lumalapit sa opisina na kailangan ng tulong medikal, at iba pang pangangailangan,” Gatchalian said.

The DSWD is developing a digital system for real-time tracking of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) beneficiaries to prevent payment of those, who have already reached self-sufficiency.

Nava said the system is expected to be functional by the end of this year.

“COA reported overpayments to beneficiaries who have already reached self-sufficiency because of delays in updating their status. What controls has DSWD implemented to shorten the period between households confirmed self-sufficiency,  and it’s actual delisting, and how many cases remain pending?” De Jesus asked.

“The continued digitalization of the DSWD would provide for these gaps, and there’s a new system that is being installed and will be functional by the end of this year. That would be a real time tracking system for these beneficiaries of 4Ps,” Nava replied.

The House of Representatives terminated on Thursday its plenary deliberations on the DSWD’s proposed 2027 budget.

The total proposed 2027 budget for the DSWD and its attached agencies totaled P241.2 billion. Of this amount, P235.7 billion was allocated to the DSWD, lower than this year’s P262.9 billion budget.