The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) is set to release the updated guidelines for the Ayuda Para sa Kapos Ang Kita Program (AKAP) by the end of January. Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman announced during a media forum that the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), and the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) are currently working on refining the program’s guidelines.
Pangandaman indicated that the finalization process is expected to conclude next week, with a meeting scheduled for this week to iron out the details. The urgency to complete these guidelines stems from President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s decision to conditionally implement the PHP26-billion AKAP budget for 2025.
AKAP, managed by the DSWD, aims to provide a one-time cash assistance to ‘near poor’ minimum wage earners. The new guidelines will incorporate additional safeguards to ensure the proper allocation of public funds. One of these measures includes the mandatory use of the national ID for beneficiaries to claim their grants.
To prevent the program from being politically exploited, the guidelines will also prohibit the use of promotional materials such as tarpaulins, stickers, and T-shirts featuring politicians’ images or names. Pangandaman emphasized the importance of the aid reaching the intended recipients, stating that it should not be distributed like a raffle.