THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE DSWD AICS PROGRAM’S IEC MATERIALS AS PERCEIVED BY ITS BENEFICIARIES

Abstract

The Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) Program is a frontline social protection initiative of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). To ensure service delivery through effective Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) materials, this study examines the effectiveness of the materials utilized in the DSWD AICS Program as perceived by its beneficiaries.

The study utilized a descriptive-correlational approach to determine the beneficiaries' level of exposure to IEC materials, their knowledge of the DSWD AICS Program, and the effectiveness of the materials in terms of clarity of message, appropriateness of content, and attractiveness. It further examined the relationship between these variables using a closed-ended scaled survey instrument.

The Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) of persuasion, developed by Richard E. Petty and John Cacioppo, was adapted for this study. The ELM guided the analysis of which persuasion route the beneficiaries utilized when processing the IEC materials. These two major routes consist of the central route, involving deep message elaboration, and the peripheral route, which leads to the acceptance or rejection of a message without active scrutiny of the content.

The findings suggest that the respondents collectively perceived the DSWD AICS Program IEC materials as effective in terms of clarity of message, appropriateness of content, and attractiveness. These results indicate that the respondents may lean toward the peripheral route, relying on other external cues when assessing the information presented to them about the DSWD AICS Program.