THE House Committee on Social Services chaired by Nueva Ecija Rep. Rosanna Vergara approved the unnumbered substitute bill on the institutionalization of the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS) Program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) during Tuesday’s hybrid meeting.
The substitute bill consolidated the following: House Bill (HB) 498 filed by Marikina City Rep. Stella Luz Quimbo; HB 998 by Camarines Norte Rep. Rosemarie Conejos Panotes; HB 1940 by Tingog Party-list Rep. Yedda Marie Romualdez; HB 2480 by Northern Samar Rep. Paul Ruiz Daza; HB 3386 by Quezon Rep. Keith Micah Tan; HB 4429 by Benguet Rep. Eric Go Yap; HB 5489 by Manila Rep. Ernesto Dionisio, Jr.; HB 5948 by Vergara; and HB 6028 by Sorsogon Rep. Wowo Fortes.
The committee also approved the substitute bill seeking to increase the compensation and benefits of public social workers. The measure substituted HB 1449 by Negros Occidental Rep. Jose Francisco Benitez; HB 5458 by Dionisio, Jr.; HB 6146 by Laguna Rep. Ruth Mariano-Hernandez; and HB 6211 by Quezon City Rep. Patrick Michael Vargas.
Prior to the approval of the said substitute measures, the panel adopted the technical working group (TWG) reports of Chairperson Quimbo on the bills presented by Tutok To Win Party-list Rep. Samuel Verzosa, Jr. and Misamis Oriental Rep. Yevgeny Vicente Emano.
The committee likewise approved the motion to approve HB 1815 with amendments as reflected in the substitute bill approved during the 18th Congress. The bill by Siquijor Rep. Zaldy Villa would establish welfare homes for destitute persons.
Also approved was HB 5226 by Davao del Norte Rep. Alan Dujali which mandates the provision of burial assistance in the amount of P20,000 for every Filipino citizen who dies within Philippines territory.
Furthermore, the committee approved the consolidation of HB 5294 by Rep. Peter Miguel and HB 6776 by Parañaque City Rep. Gus Tambunting. Both bills mandate the DSWD to provide deaf or hearing-impaired individuals with hearing aid.
Meanwhile, the panel tackled and created a TWG to consolidate and come up with a substitute bill to the three measures seeking the establishment of a comprehensive system for registration and licensing of social welfare and development agencies and accreditation of social welfare and development programs and services.
These are HB 1328 by Coop NATCCO Party-list Rep. Felimon M. Espares; HB 6105 by Vargas; and HB 7308 by Vergara and San Jose Del Monte City Rep. Florida Robes. Rep. Vergara said that by systematizing social welfare and development programs and their providers, “we would be able to more effectively deliver much needed government services for constituents, especially the marginalized, thereby uplifting their lives.”
A TWG was likewise created for HB 4945 filed by Rep. Tambunting which seeks to repeal the Solicitation Permit Law; and for HB 6531 authored by Camarines Sur Rep. Gabriel Bordado, Jr. which seeks to establish the volunteer responders incentives protection program.
