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Garin says there's clamor among House members for AKAP

"Kapag walang bahay ay hindi talaga puwedeng mapondohan ng Kongreso. Dahil walang bahay ang AKAP, mahirap siyang mapondohan. Pero andoon pa rin yung hinaing ng mga kongresista na baka sa 2027, maibalik ito or ma-expand ngayon yung coverage ng AICS," Garin said in an interview. Without an allocation in the National Expenditure Program for 2026, there might be no way to fund the Ayuda Para sa Kapos ang Kita Program (AKAP), or the government's assistance program for minimum-wage earners, Deputy Speaker Iloilo Rep. Janette Garin said on Friday. Garin, however, said there was a clamor among members of the House of Representatives for its revival in the 2027 national budget or to expand the coverage of the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS) in 2026. "Kapag walang bahay ay hindi talaga puwedeng mapondohan ng Kongreso. Dahil walang bahay ang AKAP, mahirap siyang mapondohan. Pero andoon pa rin yung hinaing ng mga kongresista na baka sa 2027, maibalik ito or ma-expand ngayon yung coverage ng AICS," Garin said in an interview. "Talagang nakakapanghinayang yung isang programa na na-demonize," she added, referring to how criticisms that AKAP had been used for political patronage. (If there's no allocation for AKAP, Congress can't fund it. Without an allocation, it will be difficult to set aside funds for it. However, there is a call among House members to include it in 2027, or expand the coverage of AICS.) Garin said the House of Representatives respected the decision of the Department of Budget and Management not to allot funds to AKAP for 2026. "Nirerespeto natin ang DBM dito. Andoon lang yung paghinaing ng ibang kongresista na sayang kasi yung niche of population, yung near-poor na dapat tinutulungan natin," Garin said. (We respect the DBM. There's just the sentiment of congressmen that we'd miss serving a niche of the population, the near-poor, that we should help.) Poverty alleviation Akbayan Party-list Rep Perci Cendaña supported the decision of the Department of Budget and Management not to include funding for AKAP in the 2026 proposed budget. "Maraming mahihirap na kababayan natin ang nangangailangan ng salbabida lalo na't nalulunod sila sa napakataas ng presyo ng bilihin at hindi pa natin naipapapasa ang P200 wage hike," Cendaña told GMA Integrated News. "Sa ganang akin, mas kailangan pondohan ang mga poverty alleviation programs tulad ng 4Ps na mas programmatic at holistic, may konkretong targets, at may malinaw na patutunguhan–ang pagraduate mula sa kahirapan," he added. House Committee on Public Accounts Chair Rep Terry Ridon sees the value of AKAP. "Ito po ang AKAP ay para po doon sa mga talaga hong mababa ang sahod na mga kababayan po natin. Sinusuportahan po natin, sa totoo lang, yun pong AKAP nitong nagdangpanon and I'm not quite certain on what congress will do whether they will restore acup for next year," Ridon said. "Pero very important po yung prinsipyo na kailangan ho natin tulungan, hindi lang po yung mga pinakamahirap po nating mga kababayan, kundi kasama pa rin po dapat dito yun pong mga near-poor natin mga kababayan," he added. He said he will leave it to the chairperson of the House Committee on Appropriations to decide whether to provide funding for AKAP next year or not. Ridon said that when the Department of Social Welfare and Development defends its budget, it reports to the House of Representatives if the objectives of AKAP were met in the past two years.