Manila, May 12 -- Filipinos seeking emergency government assistance during medical, financial and other crises may soon have guaranteed access to state support after the Senate approved a measure institutionalizing the Department of Social Welfare and Development's (DSWD) Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS) program.

Senators unanimously passed Senate Bill 1966 with a 22-0-0 vote on Tuesday, establishing a permanent legal framework for one of the government's primary emergency assistance programs.

The proposed "AICS Act" also seeks to strengthen accountability in the program's implementation by imposing penalties for unlawful acts related to the release and processing of assistance.

Sen. Erwin Tulfo, chairperson of the...