Urge senators not to remove AKAP from ‘25 budget
ADMINISTRATION lawmakers belonging to the Young Guns bloc yesterday vowed to fight for the retention of the Ayuda sa Kapos ang Kita Program (AKAP) in the proposed national budget for 2025, saying it is “not just a program” but “a lifeline for breadwinners and their families facing tough times.”
AKAP provides financial aid to minimum wage earners falling under the low-income category and who are severely affected by rising inflation.
“This aid has allowed them to meet every day needs while also positively impacting their communities,” said Rep. Jude Acidre (PL, Tingog), as he urged senators to reconsider the move.
The Senate Committee on Finance has recommended the removal of the program in the proposed P6.352 trillion national budget for next year.
Instead, the committee has proposed the distribution of the P39 billion AKAP allocation to other programs of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), such as the Sustainable Livelihood Program, Farmers and Fisherfolks Assistance Program, Quick Response Fund, “Kapit-bisig Laban sa Kahirapan” Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services, Supplementary Feeding Program, and for the operation and maintenance of “Bahay Pag-asa.”
Acidre said that through AKAP, “we’ve seen how increasing the spending power of hardworking Filipinos can benefit the local economy.”
“The program has stimulated demand for small businesses, strengthened job stability, and bolstered local tax revenues, which, in turn, support essential public services,” he also said.
He added that “in addition to financial relief, AKAP provides crucial assistance for various needs, including medical emergencies, disaster relief, and other urgent situations. This comprehensive support is vital for families facing unforeseen challenges.”
Rep. Raul Angelo Bongalon (PL, Ako Bicol) noted that AKAP supports workers earning less than P21,000 per month, “an often-overlooked sector who struggle to make ends meet despite employment.”
“AKAP has been a lifeline for millions of Filipinos in its first year, providing essential support to wage earners classified as ‘near poor’,” he said. “This is a crucial aid for those who are most vulnerable to economic shocks. They deserve our support.”
Bongalon said that if the government has a program for the poorest of the poor which is the 4Ps, “we should also have programs for minimum wage earners.”
He said the House will remain firm on retaining the AKAP funding when they meet their Senate counterparts in the bicameral meetings.
Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong said AKAP “embodies the goals of the Bagong Pilipinas initiative to bring government services closer to the people,” citing the Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo fairs held in the previous months.
For his part, Cagayan de Oro Rep. Lordan Suan urged the Senate “to carefully review the program’s benefits before considering any move to remove or reduce its funding.”
“Let’s give the Filipino people the support they need, lalo na sa mga nangangailangan (especially those who are in dire need),” he said.
“Iyong AKAP kasi hindi naman siya (it’s not) whimsical or arbitrary. Based on data siya, at ang mga binibigyan ay low-income earners (It’s based on data and those who are given are low-income earners,” Suan said.
‘INSERTION’
In an interview with radio dyPM yesterday, Senate minority leader Aquilino Pimentel III said it would be best if the AKAP is deleted in the budget measure, saying its implementation lacks details.
“Dapat pag-isipang mabuti kasi hindi klaro ang guidelines (That should be thouroughly reviewed because its guidelines are now clear),” Pimentel said.
Pimentel added that the House only allegedly “inserted” the P39 billion funding for the AKAP in its version of the 2025 national budget.
Pimentel pointed out that AKAP was not part of the DSWD budget request in the 2025 National Expenditure Program (NEP) that was submitted by Malacañang to Congress.
But in the 2025 General Appropriations Bill (GAB) approved by the House last September, Pimentel said AKAP was created under the office of the DSWD secretary and allocated a P39 billion funding.
“Yes, technically, kasi wala sa President’s budget. I think pasok ‘yan sa word na insertion (Yes, technically, because it was not on the President’s budget. I think that falls under the definition of insertion),” the senator said when asked if House members “inserted” the P39 billion AKAP budget.
Pimentel said House lawmakers could have “suggested” the creation and allocation of funds for the AKAP. “This is a case where the House suggested the program, which the DSWD adopted,” he said in Filipino.
Senators had previously questioned the creation of the AKAP in the 2024 national budget, saying that the program and its P26.7 billion allocation was an “adjustment” made by the House lawmakers after the final version of the 2024 GAA was approved by the Senate-House bicameral committee.
Senators said they did not discuss and approve the AKAP.
The AKAP was likewise linked to the People’s Initiative signature campaign for Charter change.
FISCAL DISCIPLINE
Pimentel also said the government should practice “a little budgetary discipline or fiscal discipline” to prevent the country’s debts from further rising.
“Ang utang natin lumalaki nang lumalaki pero yung mga economic managers natin parang hindi sila worried sa utang. Eh ako worried ako sa utang kasi nakikita ko yung numbers, yung binabayaran natin kada taon palaki rin nang palaki sa principal at interest (The country’s debts are increasing but our economic managers seem not to be worried. But I am worried because I can see the numbers, [I can see] that the amount we are paying keeps growing),” he said.
He noted that as of February this year, the government’s national debt has ballooned to P15.8 trillion.
Pimentel said the economic managers do not worry about the country’s ballooning debts since they are looking at the debt to gross domestic product (GDP) ratio.
“Ang ating economic managers nakatingin sila parati sa percentage ratio, yung ratio ng utang natin sa laki ng ekonomiya. Dapat tignan natin ‘yung real account ng utang natin (Our economic managers are always focused on the percentage ratio, the ratio of our debt to the size of our economy. They should look at the real account of our debts),” he said.
Pimentel said the government borrows funds every year since it spends more than it earns.
He said this is where “fiscal discipline” should be observed.
“Every year kasi gusto natin gumastos ng malaki kaysa sa kinikita natin. Kailangan siguro a little budgetary discipline o fiscal discipline na tanggalin na natin ang mga gastusin na aksaya lang o nakaka-aksaya lang (Every year, the government wants to spend more than what it earns. Maybe we need a little budgetary discipline or fiscal discipline, that we do away on things that waste our money),” he said.
He cited as an example the billions of pesos spent on flood control projects, which he complained end being wasted because of the projects’ poor design and construction.
He said also noted reports on the flood control projects in the Bicol region which showed that what contributed to the massive flooding during weather disturbance “Kristine” were the big pieces of concrete slabs which collapsed and eventually blocked the drainage systems.
The Senate last week started plenary discussions on the general principles of the proposed 2025 national budget.
Pimentel said senators will try to finish the plenary deliberations in the next eight days or by November 19 or 20.
He expressed hope that Vice President Sara Duterte, being the head of the Office of the Vice President, will be physically present when her office’s budget is tackled on the floor.
“Ang budget kasi nanggagaling yan sa ahensiya, sa budget call, mahabang proseso yan. Kapag nandiyan na sa Congress, dapat nandoon ang ahensiya na gumawa ng budget to defend the budget. Hindi na siguro kailangan imbitahan kasi ine-expect sila doon (An agency’s proposed budget comes from the agency itself during their budget call which is a long process. When their budget reaches Congress, the head od agency should be there to defend it. I think there is no need to invite them because they are expected to be there),” he said.
“Ang rule namin dapat ang head of agency nandiyan. So expected siya (Our rules state that the head of agency should be there. So, we expect her [VP Duterte] to be there),” he also said. – With Raymond Africa
