Senate Minority Leader Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III quizzed the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) regarding the nature of the Ayuda sa Kapos ang Kita Program (AKAP) which according to him, seems to be "invisible" to senators.
Pimentel posed his queries during the deliberations of DSWD and its attached agencies' proposed budget of P229.8 billion by the upper chamber's finance subcommittee presided over by Senator Imee Marcos.
He initially asked if AKAP is purely an assistance program or requires some sort of return from the beneficiary since according to him, no one in the Senate understands it. He also asked how this became a national program by law since a law is supposed to be passed by two houses and if senators are disqualified from participating in the AKAP.
DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian said that the AKAP is just like the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) program.
"It's a social welfare program, it does not elicit any conditions, it does not impose any conditions and it does not aim to change behaviors. It's really in the social welfare side," he added.
He also explained that from time immemorial, the department has been verbalizing its desire for a "near poor" program.
"We are aware that we also need to take care of those who are nearly poor, as we discussed earlier, so we looked into the situation of those who are barely making ends meet. They are earning, but their income is insufficient, especially during times of inflation (Alam ho natin na kailangan din natin alagaan yung near poor tulad ng napag-usapan kanina kaya tiningnan natin yung mga kapos ang kita. Kumikita pero hindi sapat yung kinikita lalong-lalo na in the time of inflation)," he said.
"So we welcomed it in the line iteming in the GAA when we got the 2024 GAA. So kami as a matter of principle we implemented it, and we created guidelines for it to make sure that it suits the purpose of its mandate," he added.
Pimentel then stated that their mission is to make dealing with the government easier for the people and distinguishing the poor from the near poor makes it complicated.
"Bakit pa tayo nag distinguish ng tinaman ng inflation eh hindi ba kaya nga inflation is a curse tinataman lahat eh. I mean tamaan ang lahat, si poor, and near poor tapos sasabihin natin nakaimbento tayo ng programa na let's not forget the near poor because of the inflation but the poor is also hit by inflation and what's the point? (Why do we still differentiate between the poor and the near poor when it comes to the effects of inflation, when in fact, inflation is a curse that affects everyone? I mean, it affects everyone, the poor and the near poor alike. Then we'll say we've come up with a program that doesn't forget the near poor due to inflation, but the poor are also hit hard by inflation, so what's the point?)" Pimentel asked.
"Kaya ngayon lang natin to nasasabi kasi never dumaan sa plenary, hindi naman ito natanong ano bang programa ito how come biglang ang phrase na natin near poor and we link it to inflation as if the poor are insulated from inflation. It's the same thing kaya nga tama siguro kung if you can afford this amount, why not put it in AICS? (We're only saying this now because it never reached the plenary, nobody asked what this program is all about. How come we suddenly use the phrase 'near poor' and link it to inflation, as if the poor are not affected by inflation? It's the same thing, that's why it's probably right to ask, if you can afford this amount, why not put it in AICS?)" he added.
A secret, off-limits program
Pimentel said that senators are informed of AICS and can sometimes visit the AICS distribution wherein they can see with their own eyes maganda that's actually good.
"Ako'y nakapagsalita na sa isang AICS distribution tinanong ko sila do you like this program? Gusto nila, they like this program kasi nga ayuda (I spoke during an AICS distribution, I asked them, "Do you like this program?" They said they like the program)," he said.
"How come AKAP seems to be invisible us? We have not been invited to any AKAP if it's like AICS it must be also like a distribution, how come it is invisible to senators? Unlike AICS which is visible to senators," he added.
Gatchalian said that they always post on our social media accounts the different activities of the department including AKAP payouts to give a visual to everybody of what they are doing whether it's AKAP, AICS, or emergency cash transfers
"But how come the level of involvement of senators in the AKAP program close to nothing if not negligible when compared to AICS? If it's like AICS, how come in its implementation it's so different from AICS, as far as senators are concerned it's like a secret, invisible, off-limits program," Pimentel said.
"Bakit? Di ko maintindihan e. At saka secretary kung matagal niyo na 'tong iniisip, bakit sa plenary hindi namin nadiscuss nung when we were discussing the 2024 budget? Dapat sa plenary openly nadiscuss po iyan (Why? I don't understand. And if you've been thinking about this for a long time, why didn't we discuss it openly in the plenary when we were discussing the 2024 budget? It should have been discussed openly in the plenary)," he added.
Marcos chimed in and stated that they've been accused in the Senate of actually having participated in AKAP simply because they lent their electronic signatures to the final bicameral report which became the GAA 2024.
Back in February, House Senior Deputy Speaker Pampanga 3rd district Rep. Aurelio "Dong" Gonzales Jr. said that Senator Marcos actually signed the Bicameral Conference Committee report on the 2024 General Appropriations Act (GAA) or national budget.
The AKAP was spelled out in the GAA as a line item.
"But in truth and in fact, as you well know we were never made aware of this program and it was never requested in the first place by the DSWD," she added.
Pimentel then asked Gatchalian if they intend to discuss this in the plenary this budget season.
Gatchalian said that they defer to the wisdom of the Congress and the Senate on what discussions they'll undertake in the next plenary.
Marcos also clarified that in the NEP 2024, there is no AKAP in the same way that it was not included or even requested.
Inflation-based program
Marcos said that they looked at the guidelines of AKAP and clearly it's an inflation-based program. She then asked if there was no longer any need for it because there was no longer any inflation.
Gatchalian said that they will continue to lobby for AKAP not to be removed from the line item of the budget because it is helping the people.
Marcos reiterated that they never asked for AKAP and only requested for contractual items to become permanent and for additional vehicles.
"For this coming budget season what we did was to ask to augment AICS," Gatchalian said.
Pimentel said that there's no problem with AICS since it's always augmented ata whether they ask for it or not yet the problem is AKAP because it's not as transparent or welcoming as AICS.
Gatchalian bared that the budget utilization for 2024 stands at 21.18 percent
Pimentel then asked how the beneficiaries of the program are chosen.
Gatchalian said that it goes through the same process wherein the beneficiary will come to them and then the social workers will look into the overall well-being of the individual.
"That's why mayroon kami dun sa guidelines nilagay na 'made more vulnerable' so meaning if the services being asked for whether it's medical dahil may pinagdadaanan siyang sakit sa pamilya then that is taken into account by the social worker (That's why we included "made more vulnerable" in our guidelines, so if the services being requested, whether medical due to a family member's illness, are taken into account by the social worker)," he said.
Pimentel said that the DSWD is overcomplicating things.
"Masyado niyo pinapahirap buhay niyo. Tapos kailangan niyo pa siya idistinguish from the poor as being near poor. Only the near poor is qualified under AKAP. Let's simplify it na lang kasi tingnan mo, naging obscure program tuloy (You're making your lives difficult. Then you still need to distinguish them from the poor as being near poor. Only the near poor are qualified under AKAP. Let's simplify it instead, because look, the program has become obscure already)," he said.
"Huwag na tayong masyadong magpacomplicate na unnecessary complications, in my opinion, it's an unnecessary complication tingnan mo kaya tuloy sa obligation rate nag-iingat din kayo kasi you yourselves are confused by vague terms like near poor (Let's not overcomplicate things with unnecessary complications, in my opinion. To be honest, it's already complicated enough. Take a look at the obligation rate, for instance. You're also being cautious because you yourselves are confused by vague terms like "near poor)," he added.
Gatchalian said they will always defer to the wisdom of the policymakers on how they want to craft this in the 2025 budget.
Pimentel told Gatchalian that Congress is only the one that gives authority but since they're the resource persons, they should also react and give their opinions.
"How come there's a surprise program for us arising out of the bicam na hindi nadidiscuss sa plenary, i-reject niyo na lang, sabihin niyo: legislators your wisdom is better expressed by putting it in a regular program like AICS where the parameters are very clear (How come there's a surprise program for us arising out of the bicam that was not discussed in the plenary, just reject it, tell us: legislators, your wisdom is better expressed by putting it in a regular program like AICS where the parameters are very clear)," he said.
"Sasabihin niyo dapat sa amin, this is a useless distinction. Sabihin niyo sa Congress o sa amin your honor, legislator, this is a useless distinction. Pinapahirapan niyo lang buhay namin because we know how to do it sa ground, ang hirap hirap gawin (You should tell us that this distinction is useless. Whether you tell Congress or us, your honor, legislator, this distinction is useless. You're just making our lives difficult because we know how to get things done on the ground, it's really hard to do)," he added.