The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is now in the process of finalizing the guidelines of the Ayuda para sa Kapos ang Kita Program (AKAP) together with Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian said on Wednesday (January 8)
“Nag-meet na kami ng DOLE at NEDA last Friday. Kaninang umaga, pinadala ko sa kanila ulit yung second draft. Give us some more time kasi gusto natin talaga mapulido. And when you get three secretaries working in program talagang yumayabong ‘yong usapan so dumadami yung mga maaring areas na pwedeng ma-improve,” Secretary Gatchalian said in an interview with Teleradyo Serbisyo on Wednesday.
The DSWD chief said the three agencies are enhancing the implementation guidelines while making sure that the goal of the program—-to address the significant strain posed by the rising inflation on the financial capacity of those who earn less than minimum wage—will be achieved.
“So pinaganda pa yung implementation niya. Hindi na lang isa ang nag-iisip ng alituntunin kundi tatlo nang ahensya ang mag-iisip ng alituntunin para talagang masigurado natin na yung layunin niya, makamit niya,” Secretary Gatchalian pointed out.
In an earlier interview, the DSWD chief said the drafting of the joint guidelines is anchored on President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr’s veto message.
“We have to be true to the veto message na nakalagay doon dapat ang mga makakatanggap ay mga below minimum wage earners at yung mga lubhang naapektuhan ng pagtaas ng presyo ng bilihin or the inflation effects,” Secretary Gatchalian said in an interview with NewsWatch on Monday (January 6).
In President Marcos’ speech shortly after signing the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA) last December 30, he required the conditional implementation of AKAP and several programs of the national government, subject to the submission of clear guidelines.
Secretary Gatchalian noted that the meeting with DOLE Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma and NEDA Secretary Arsenio Balisacan clarified the agencies’ respective roles for the implementation of AKAP in 2025.
“Ang role ng DOLE, sila ang tutulong sa amin para tukuyin ang mga benchmark natin or yung mga baseline na mga minimum wage natin, regional minimum wage. Gusto ng NEDA masukat ang impact o epekto nito so yung monitoring and evaluation na role nila,” the DSWD chief explained.
Secretary Gatchalian said the new guidelines will ensure that systems are fine-tuned to ensure that AKAP will not be used for political ends during the campaign period for the May midterm elections.
The DSWD chief reiterated that while the agency is grateful for the various assistance provided by the local government units (LGUs), the DSWD is the sole implementer of AKAP and potential beneficiaries are assessed by the agency social workers.
“Buong pondo ng AKAP ay naka lodge sa DSWD. Wala naman naka-allocate diyan para sa anong distrito, anong siyudad, anong probinsya,” Secretary Gatchalian said.
“LGUs help us with the logistics, yun naman talaga kasi dahil kung tatandaan niyo sabay-sabay ang disbursement nitong pondo na ‘to. Minsan malalayo ‘yung mga lugar at nag papatulong kami sa venue identification, sa mga kagamitan sa loob ng venue pati din sa crowd management,” the DSWD chief said. (LSJ)
