COLUMBIO, Sultan Kudarat: At least 1,000 tribal families from the 13 villages of this town received a cash aid of P3,000 each from the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS) program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Thursday.

The distribution was led by ACT-CIS Party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo and Gov. Datu Pax Ali Mangudadatu of Sultan Kudarat.

The beneficiaries also received family food packs and raffle items from DSWD and ACT-CIS.

Tulfo commended the governor for recommending the town of Columbio be the beneficiary of the government's aid.

He said the assistance is among the programs of the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. which provides services to all Filipinos across the country.

Tulfo, however, told the beneficiaries to utilize the financial assistance wisely even as he assured the Indigenous Peoples of the government's continued support for them.

Mangudadatu, meanwhile, expressed gratitude to the lawmaker for his presence and handed the assistance to his constituents.

"This is not the first time that the lawmaker went to their province. In fact when he was the DSWD Secretary, he was the one who went to Sultan Kudarat immediately and provided help to the affected families of Typhoon 'Paeng,'" Magudadatu said.

The AICS program aims to provide immediate relief to qualified individuals or families who find themselves in crisis situations. It caters to indigent, marginalized, poor, or disadvantaged individuals, offering assistance in various forms such as medical, educational, burial, or transportation aid.