DAGUPAN CITY (PIA) — The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Region 1 has distributed P2 million to 713 beneficiaries of “Ayuda para sa Kapos ang Kita Program” (AKAP) in the province on Aug. 21.
The said program aims to support Filipinos by protecting minimum wage earners from the effects of inflation and assist the impoverished, near-poor, and those working in the informal economy.
Each selected beneficiary from the towns of Mangaldan, San Fabian, Manaoag, and San Jacinto in the fourth district of Pangasinan received P3,000. These recipients fall within the low-income category and do not exceed the statutory minimum wage.
Launched in Mangaldown town, Helen A. Aquino, chief administrator officer/human resource management officer, 442 beneficiaries from the said town are security guards and utility workers from 10 barangays who belong to the first batch, Job Order (JO) and Contract of Service (COS) municipal staff.
“Kabilang sa mga nakatangap ng financial assistance ay maituturing na nasa “near poor” category at mga mga minimum wage earners na kumikita ng hindi tataas sa Php10,000 na kulang sa kanilang gastusin kada buwan’, Aquino Added.
(Among those who received financial assistance are individuals considered to be in the ‘near poor’ category and minimum wage earners who earn no more than Php10,000, which falls short of covering their monthly expenses)
Aquino acknowledged 4th District Congressman Christopher De Venecia and various board members for their continued support of the program in their municipality, which eases the burden on those with limited and low incomes.
Under the General Appropriations Act of 2024, Special Provision No. 3 of the DSWD Budget has allocated P26.7 billion to the AKAP program.
Alvin John Mejia, a job order employee and one of the beneficiaries from Malabago, Mangaldan, expressed his gratitude for the financial assistance he received through the DSWD’s AKAP program.
“Maraming salamat po sa DSWD sa ganitong programa at marami po silang natutulugan. Mahalaga po ito sa akin kasi makakatulong po ito para sa aking medical expenses dahil sa aking medical heart condition and pandagdag din po sa iba pa pong pangangailangan,” said Mejia.
(I would like to express my deep appreciation to the DSWD for their support through this program. Their assistance is incredibly valuable to me, helping with my medical expenses related to my heart condition and addressing other essential needs.)
The DSWD Memorandum Circular No. 4, known as the AKAP program, provides immediate cash assistance ranging from P1,000 to P10,000, based on the assessment of DSWD social workers. For amounts exceeding P10,000, assistance will be provided through a guarantee letter approved by the DSWD.
Individuals who are already receiving regular support from other DSWD programs, such as the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) or the P1,000 monthly social pension for indigent senior citizens, are not eligible for AKAP. Further, beneficiaries of the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) program will need to adhere to AKAP’s restrictions on aid availability and frequency. (MJTAB/RPM/ PIA Pangasinan)
