Imee: Merge AKAP, AICS for effective aid distribution

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SEN. Imee Marcos has proposed the consolidation of the

Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Ayuda sa Kapos ang Kita Program (AKAP) and Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS) for a more effective aid distribution to Filipinos in need.

Marcos said that instead of giving assistance under various programs, the government should focus on a unified program which will have a long-term impact on needy Filipinos.

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“Sa aking palagay, mas makabubuti kung pag-isahin na lamang natin ang AICS at AKAP. Sa ganitong paraan, mas malaking ayuda ang maibibigay natin sa ating mga kababayang tunay na nangangailangan

(For me, it is better if we merge the AICS and AKAP. This way, we can give bigger financial assistance to our countrymen who need help),” Marcos said when she defended the DSWD’s budget during the last day of the Senate plenary deliberations on Wednesday dawn.

Marcos made the statement amid appeals from the House of Representatives and the DSWD for the Senate to reconsider its decision to defund the AKAP.

AKAP is a one-time cash grant of P3,000 to P5,000 to those who are earning below the minimum wage and not getting any financial assistance from the government.

It is designed for the near poor, or “lower middle class” segment of the population, which includes minimum wage earners vulnerable to economic shocks like the sudden death of a household head, sickness, loss of job or runaway inflation that can easily send them back to poverty.

On the other hand, AICS is a cash assistance given to indigents who need medical treatment and assistance for burial expenses, education, and transportation.

The Senate Committee on Finance has recommended the removal of the AKAP in the proposed P6.352 trillion national budget for next year, which Minority leader Aquilino Pimentel III has said was not included in Malacañang’s National Expenditure Program (NEP) for 2025.

Marcos said the needy do not need a one-time cash aid, but rather assistance from the government that would give them a chance to improve their lives.

“Kailangan palawakin natin ang kanilang pagkakataon makahanap ng trabaho o mamuhunan sa sariling hanapbuhay. Hindi naman tamad ang Pilipino – kailangan lang nila ng tulong at inspirasyon para makabangon. Hindi lamang ayuda ang sagot, kundi tunay na pag-asa para makaahon sila sa kahirapan (We need to expand their chances to find jobs or invest on their own businesses. Filipinos are not lazy – they just need help and inspiration to stop being poor. Financial assistance is not the only answer to their problems, but rather we must give them hope to rise from poverty),” she said.

She added that social assistance programs must be accompanied by opportunities for Filipinos to be self-sufficient.

“Palakasin natin ang mga programang tulad ng Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), Kalahi-CIDSS at Sustainable Livelihood Program na tumutugon na sa isyu ng kahirapan bago pa man ang AKAP (We should strengthen programs like the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program [4Ps], Kalahi-CIDSS [Kapit Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services, and the Sustainable Livelihood Program which have all been providing assistance to the poor even before AKAP),” Marcos said.

Deputy minority leader Risa Hontiveros said senators are supportive of Marcos’ proposal to consolidate AKAP and AICS since both are similar to the social protection programs of various government agencies.

Hontiveros said this was the sentiment of majority of the senators when they tackled the DSWD budget last Wednesday.

“Yung naging diskusyon tungkol sa AKAP on the floor, in the plenary, na kung kaya, dahil parang similar naman siya sa AICS, similar naman siya sa ibang social protection programs ng iba’t-ibang departments, kung puede pag-isahin na lang yan, di ba? (The discussion about AKAP in the plenary was that because of its similar nature with AICS and the social protection programs of other government agencies, if possible, let us just combine them),” Hontiveros said during the Kapihan sa Senado media forum.

She said senators would decide if the consolidated AKAP-AICS will still be placed under the DSWD or would be managed by another government agency.

“I think very acceptable ‘yan sa Senado and I hope makikipag-isa din sa amin doon yung counterparts namin sa bicam (I think that is very acceptable to the Senate and I hope that our counterparts in the bicameral conference committee will approve of it),” she added.

‘FIGHT FOR AKAP’

Speaker Martin Romualdez yesterday said the House of Representatives will fight for the retention of the AKAP in the proposed national budget for 2025 when the budget deliberations reach the bicameral level.

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“We will fight for AKAP because it fights for the Filipino people. This program is a testament to what good governance can achieve, and we will not allow its gains to be rolled back,” Romualdez said in a statement.

The Speaker echoed the statement of DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian that more than 4 million “near poor” Filipinos will be affected if the program is defunded.

Gatchalian has warned senators that millions of near poor Filipinos might “fall back into poverty” if the proposed removal of AKAP pushes through.

“We stand with Secretary Gatchalian in urging our colleagues in the Senate to uphold the AKAP budget. This is about ensuring that no Filipino family falls back into poverty because of insufficient support. The House of Representatives is ready to champion this cause in the bicameral discussions, if necessary,” Romualdez said.

“AKAP is not just a safety net; it is a lifeline for millions of Filipino families teetering on the edge of poverty,” he also said, adding that “this initiative has proven its value by providing immediate relief to struggling households, empowering them to weather economic challenges, and ensuring their resilience against inflation and other shocks.”

The program is a brainchild of Romualdez and Rep. Zaldy Co (PL, Ako Bicol). Co is the chairperson of the House Committee on Appropriations, which scrutinizes the annual national budget.

Romualdez said AKAP’s impact “is evident in its extensive reach, with P20.7 billion of the P26.7 billion allocation already utilized, benefiting millions across all regions, including over 589,000 families in the National Capital Region (NCR) alone.”

He said regions like Central Luzon, Bicol, and Western Visayas have also achieved significant fund utilization rates exceeding 70 percent.

“Programs like AKAP demonstrate what effective government intervention looks like. It stabilizes households, strengthens communities, and contributes to the country’s overall economic resilience. Cutting its funding would be a disservice to the millions who rely on this vital assistance,” he said.

He also said the AKAP initiative “reflects our collective vision of a more inclusive and com passionate governance model. It is the kind of program that builds trust in government by directly addressing the needs of ordinary Filipinos.” – With Wendell Vigilia

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