31 Disyembre,2024 Martes
2 hrs., 45 mins, to 2025, Happy New Year
Happy 21st anniversary, Servants of God in Jesus Christ Christian Ministries Incorporated, Rev. Nestor Sadim, Rev. Manuel Soliman, Director Jorge Lopez
No to Divorce!!!
Get well soon Nanay Angelita Santiago-Lopez
No to SOGIE bill
supports Marked Men for Christ Philippines Seminar, January 30,31,February 1,2025, Kabaleyan Cove, San Carlos City, Pangasinan
PM for any hospital discharge problem
ABS 2025
FMJ keeps P26-B AKAP fund, adds DOLE, NEDA oversight
By Nidz Godino
“To ensure government assistance is not merely provisional solution to persistent issue, we are compelled to subject implementation of Ayuda sa Kapos ng Kita program or AKAP to convergence efforts of DSWD, DOLE, and NEDA,” President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. during budget signing ceremony in Malacañang did not veto P26-billion Ayuda para sa Kapos ang Kita Program (AKAP) in 2025 budget but added two new agencies to oversee fund that some senators say was surprise insertion last year.
Controversial cash aid program will now require coordinated guidelines from Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), and National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) change from its previous implementation where DSWD was sole implementing agency.
AKAP is program under DSWD distributes one-time cash aid to “near poor” minimum wage earners. It first materialized in 2024 budget as P26.7-billion item reportedly inserted by House, led by Speaker Martin Romualdez, president’s cousin.
Program has since drawn criticism, with Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio previously alleging AKAP funds were being used for vote-buying. Meanwhile, retired Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio likened AKAP to pork barrel funds and said lawmakers’ involvement is deliberately omitted on paper to circumvent restrictions.
DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian has defended his agency’s cash aid program and insisted it is social workers not barangay officials determine qualified recipients. He has denied allegations of fund being used by House lawmakers.
Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said at press conference that while funds remain intact, new guidelines must be established before any disbursement.
“It’s just before we release funds, we need to issue guidelines together with DSWD, DOLE and NEDA,” she said, adding NEDA Secretary Arsenio Balisacan will help define fund release protocols.
Marcos argued implementation of AKAP will be “strategic” and lead to long-term improvements in the lives of its recipients while “guarding against misuse and duplication and fragmented benefits.”
The president said additional fiscal controls will be in place for all items in 2025 budget: “We ensure all increases in appropriations and new budgetary items shall now be subject to cash programming, applicable budget execution rules, and vetting and approval of concerned offices.”
AKAP’s inclusion in current year’s budget and proposed spending plan for next year had alarmed some senators, including Sen. Imee Marcos, implied fund was redundant with another DSWD program and, hence, open to misuse.
In February 2024, Marcos, president’s sister, first flagged program during hearing on people’s initiative. She discovered it through text message alleging “all soft projects including AKAP must go through office of the Speaker.”
“I understood AKAP was under DSWD budget…if you recall, in Senate, I handle DSWD budget…but like Comelec’s mysterious additional P12 billion, this P26.7 billion in budget of DSWD is alien to me,” Marcos said during hearing.
At the time, DSWD Undersecretary Fatima Aliah Dimaporo said AKAP was “technically foreign in the sense it has no guidelines yet, so it does not exist as program.”
Sen. Koko Pimentel had also criticized
| Headlines | Philstar.comA portal of daily newspapers covering Philippine news headlines, business, lifestyle, advertisement, sports and … |
allotted funds for AKAP, he said was “dole-out program with very unclear mechanics.” He said senators have been excluded from its distribution as if it was “secret, invisible, off-limits program.”
When House of Representatives proposed to increase AKAP’s funding to P39 billion for 2025, Senate, through Sen. Marcos, removed allocation entirely from upper chamber’s version of budget.
“I deleted it entirely… I proposed to merge AICS, AKAP and pool it into one standby fund for those in need. ..that way, there will be no dispute or jealousy over fund allocation,” Marcos explained in November, referring to DSWD’s other cash aid program, Assistance to Individuals In Crisis Situations.
Bicameral conference committee later restored funds for AKAP but reduced its funding to P26 billion.
Sen. Grace Poe, initially opposed program in November as chair of Senate finance panel, supported its partial restoration after she said lawmakers clarified its purpose during bicam deliberations.
ISKUP! 