LAOAG CITY, Ilocos Norte (PIA) – Over 9,500 residents from the first district of Ilocos Norte received financial assistance during a payout led by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. at the Centennial Arena on September 11.
The aid, distributed through the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Ayuda sa Kapos ang Kita Program (AKAP), aims to provide social protection and alleviate the financial burden caused by rising prices, particularly for minimum wage earners.
Each beneficiary received P5,000, totaling P47.5 million distributed among the recipients.
President Marcos Jr. emphasized that the assistance aims to support beneficiaries in overcoming the challenges posed by surging prices of goods and commodities, as well as the impacts of El Niño over the past six months.
“Ginagawa ito at ginawa namin dito sa llocos Norte dahil kinikilala ng inyong national government na sa nakaraang anim na buwan ay marami pong nangyari sa ekonomiya natin, dumaan po tayo sa El Niño at ang dami-nagtataasan ang presyo,” Marcos, Jr. said.
(We are doing this and we did it here in llocos Norte because your national government recognizes that in the last six months a lot has happened in our economy; we went through El Niño and the prices of commodities are increasing.)
The president also assured the beneficiaries of ongoing government support to mitigate the impact of future challenges they may encounter.
“We are here to continue to support and bring whatever help we can, kung anuman ang maitulong namin para sa mga nangangailangan (and bring whatever help we can for those in need),” Marcos, Jr. adds.
Josephine Patricio, an AKAP beneficiary from Laoag City, acknowledged the Marcos administration’s efforts in delivering various forms of assistance to the poor and vulnerable in Ilocos Norte. She emphasized how these initiatives have the potential to benefit a broad segment of those in need.
“Malaki ang pasasalamat namin na kababayan niya sa napakarami niyang nabigay sa aming lahat. Thank you, president, sa naibigay mo sa aming tulong at nawa ay matulungan mo ang lahat ng mga nangangailangan tulad ko,” Patricio said.
(We are grateful for the many things he has given to all of us. Thank you, president, for giving us help, and may you help all those in need like me.)
The payout on Sept. 11 coincides with Marcos Day, a non-working holiday in Ilocos Norte that commemorates the 107th birth anniversary of the late President Ferdinand E. Marcos, Sr.
The holiday is observed by Proclamation No. 671, which was signed by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin on Aug. 29. (MJTAB/CCMT, PIA La Union)
