November 24, 2024 | 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian yesterday assured the public that the two financial aid or ayuda programs of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) are not being used for political gains.
In a statement, Gatchalian had dismissed claims by some quarters that the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) and the Ayuda para sa Kapos ang Kita Program (AKAP) were being used for political purposes, including “vote buying.”
He said the DSWD applies a “stringent verification and validation process” for clients who seek financial assistance, even for referrals from legislators and other local government officials.
“Let me reiterate that all the DSWD’s field offices across the country serve people in need, whether they are walk-in clients or were referred to by local government unit (LGU) officials. The DSWD continues to process applications and distribute assistance through AICS and AKAP to qualified beneficiaries,” he stressed.
The assessment of the agency’s licensed social workers “is critical to avoid overlapping of assistance with other DSWD programs,” according to Gatchalian.
While DSWD actively coordinates with LGU executives and officials to organize payout activities, he said the funding for AKAP and AICS comes from the agency’s budget as provided under the General Appropriations Act (GAA).
He underscored there is no GAA line item that entitles any congressional district or LGU to have an allocation in any amount and lodge it with the DSWD that could benefit their constituents.
He added that referrals from legislators and local executives are always entertained, pursuant to existing DSWD guidelines.
As a policy, the DSWD does not allow politicians to have an active role in the distribution of payouts.
The agency also prohibits politicians from tampering with family food packs by putting their photographs, names, logos or any identifying marks on the relief items.
DSWD records showed that more than 6.5 million Filipinos facing difficult circumstances were provided by the agency with aid amounting to P40.9 billion through the AICS program for 2023.
The amount of assistance released under the AICS program in 2023 represented a 98.5 percent utilization of the fund worth over P41.5 billion.
The number of clients served under the AICS in 2023 is more than four times the program’s annual total target of 1,691,869 beneficiaries who are in need of assistance such as transportation medical, burial, transportation, education, food and other support services for Filipinos undergoing crisis, accidents or severe poverty.
On the other hand, more than four million “near poor” Filipinos have benefitted from AKAP during its first iteration from January to October 2024.
The AKAP program has demonstrated a strong impact with P20.7 billion in funds, or 77.57 percent, already utilized out of the total P26.7-billion budget allocation for 2024.
The AKAP funds were allocated across all regions, with most areas achieving over 70 percent in fund obligations, like Central Luzon, Bicol region and Western Visayas.
AKAP beneficiaries in the National Capital Region alone amount to 589,000 people, showing the scale and reach of the program’s impact.
The AKAP provides one-time cash assistance between P3,000 to P5,000 to eligible beneficiaries.
To qualify, families must have an income that falls below the poverty threshold and must not be receiving assistance from other government programs.
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