The House of Representatives is determined to reinstate the P39-billion Ayuda sa Kapos ang Kita Program (AKAP), along with additional subsistence allowances for soldiers, in the 2025 national budget.
Speaker Martin Romualdez directed House Appropriations Committee chairperson Elizaldy Co to ensure the restoration of AKAP funding during the forthcoming bicameral conference committee discussions.
Earlier, Romualdez affirmed the strong public support for the AKAP under the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), reiterating the importance of maintaining the program in the 2025 budget, as it has become a lifeline for millions of Filipinos living on the edge of poverty.
In a chance interview with the media during the ‘Tabang Bikol, Tindog Oragon’ relief caravan and mini-Bagong Pilipinas Sebisyo Fair in Albay last Thursday, Romualdez encouraged senators to go to the grassroots and see how financial aid programs like the AKAP benefit many Filipino households.
“Yes, we are listening to the others in the Senate, I don’t think they understand because they don’t go down too much,” Romualdez said in Tagalog, addressing calls to defund the AKAP initiative in the Senate.
“That’s why we’re here, we’re all going around the provinces, here at the Bagong Pilipinas Service Fairs. We have covered more than two dozen provinces, now we are back to Bicol. We see that this program is what our compatriots want from the DSWD,” he added.
Earlier, Romualdez pledged the House of Representatives’ full support to secure the funding for AKAP in the 2025 budget, highlighting the program’s impact on more than 4 million “near poor” Filipinos nationwide.
For his part, Co said millions of struggling Filipinos depend on this critical financial support.
Amid concerns about AKAP’s possible discontinuation, Co reassured beneficiaries that the House contingent would fight for its preservation, highlighting its importance to 12 million low-income or near-poor families.
The AKO Bicol party-list representative said social welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian and Philippine Statistics Authority Usec. Dennis Mapa, both recognize AKAP’s significance. “We can’t allow the administration’s most vital socialized program to disappear.”
“Until these families earn at least P45,000 per person monthly, AKAP remains essential. If we can’t provide proper wages, this program is the right form of support to shield them from high prices and economic hardship,” said Co.
Launched to assist working Filipinos with insufficient incomes, AKAP provides one-time financial aid ranging from P3,000 to P5,000 to eligible beneficiaries.
“Without AKAP, families living paycheck-to-paycheck will have no safety net for emergencies, such as illness, death in the family, or natural disasters,” Co warned.
He noted that recent aid distributions targeting mall workers across the country showcase widespread acceptance and support for the project.
Co expressed disappointment over the Senate’s decision to remove the P39-billion funding, which Senators Grace Poe and Imee Marcos proposed to scrap.
The Bicolano solon revealed that AKAP had already disbursed 77.57 percent of its P26.7-billion allocation as of October 2024, benefiting 589,000 individuals in Metro Manila alone.
The congressman vowed to fight for the program’s reinstatement, underscoring its role in preventing vulnerable Filipinos from falling deeper into poverty.
“Our people need AKAP now more than ever. We will not allow this essential program to be dismantled without a fight,” he said.
As budget deliberations continue, Co urged the Senate to reconsider, stressing that sustaining AKAP is not only a moral responsibility but also an economic imperative to support struggling Filipinos and foster resilience.
