AKAP under ‘conditional implementation’ in 2025 – Marcos

By Darryl John Esguerra, Philippine News Agency

FILE: PBBM signs 2025 budget, vetoes PhP194-B projects (PCO Photo)

MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. placed the Ayuda Para sa Kapos Ang Kita Program (AKAP) funding for 2025 under conditional implementation.

Marcos signed on Monday the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA) in a ceremony at Malacañang Palace in Manila.

He vetoed over PHP194 billion in line items which he deemed inconsistent with the administration’s priorities.

In his speech, Marcos also announced that AKAP will be among the items that will be placed under conditional implementation to “ensure that the people’s funds are utilized in accordance with their authorized and stated purpose.”

AKAP will be implemented in coordination with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), and National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), according to the President.

“This way, we ensure that its implementation will be strategic leading to the long-term improvement of the lives of qualified beneficiaries, while guarding against misuse and duplication, and fragmented benefits,” Marcos said.

“This approach is anchored on a simple yet profound truth: The appropriation of public funds must not break the public trust,” he added.

The PHP26 billion allocation for DSWD’s AKAP was among the main points of contention in the 2025 national budget

According to Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman, the AKAP budget remains but will only be released once the guidelines have been finalized and met by concerned agencies.

“‘Yung AKAP po is still there.

It’s just that, bago natin ma-release ‘yung pondo (before we release the fund), we need to issue guidelines po together with DSWD, DOLE and NEDA para maging consistent ‘yung pagbibigay ng AKAP sa tamang recipients at hindi magdoble-doble ‘yung binibigay natin na mga cash assistance (so the AKAP cash assistance will be given to the right recipients and avoid repetition),” Pangandaman said in a press briefing in Malacañang shortly after the enactment of the GAA.

AKAP provides cash assistance to minimum wage earners and near-poor Filipinos to help tide them over the effects of inflation.

Aside from AKAP, other Special Provisions under conditional implementation include:

– PAyapa at MAsaganang PamayaNAn (PAMANA) Program;

– Basic Infrastructure Program;

– Support to Foreign-Assisted Projects;

– Office of the Ombudsman’s Payment of Retirement Benefits and Pensions, along with the Release of Payment of Retirement Benefits and Pensions;

– Judiciary-Supreme Court’s Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses of the Lower Courts;

– Department of Agriculture-Office of the Secretary’s Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund;

– Use of Excess Revenue from the Total Annual Tariff Revenue from Rice Importation;

– Natural Disaster Risk Reduction and Management’s (Calamity Fund) National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Program;

– Department of Finance-Bureau of Customs’ Rewards and Incentives Fund; and

– Congress of the Philippines’ Availability of Appropriations and Cash Allocations

Of the PHP194 billion that the President vetoed, PHP26.065 billion worth of projects under the Department of Public Works and Highways and PHP168.240 billion were allocated under unprogrammed appropriations.