The offices of Leyte 1st district Rep. Martin Romualdez and Tingog Party-list have set aside ₱360 million in Ayuda Para sa Kapos ang Kita Program (AKAP) funds, family food packs, and other relief items for the benefit of 36 congressional districts that were affected by the recent heavy rains and floods.

The AKAP and relief assistance will be released by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) under Secretary Rex Gatchalian.

Each congressional district will receive ₱10 million in direct financial aid intended for residents affected by flooding, displacement, and other related emergencies.

Romualdez is the president of dominant party Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD) and is the former House Speaker of the previous 19th Congress. Meanwhile, Tingog Party-list--based in Leyte--is among the top voter-getters during the 2025 mid-term elections.

"This is just the beginning of our coordinated disaster response. Malayo pa ang mararating ng tulong na ito at hindi pa ito ang huli. Ang importante, agad nating naramdaman ang pagtulong ng administrasyong Marcos,” Romualdez, a lawyer from the University of the Philippines (UP), said.

(This aid will go a long way, and it won’t be the last. What matters is that we immediately felt the support from the Marcos administration.)

In addition to the financial aid, relief packs have been readied for mass distribution, including servings of Tingog hot meals for evacuees currently housed in schools, covered courts, and other temporary shelters.

“Nais nating iparating sa bawat apektadong pamilyang Pilipino na sa panahon ng kalamidad ay andito ang gobyerno ni Pangulong Marcos para tumulong. Lahat ito ay paalala na hindi kayo nag-iisa. Kasama ninyo kami sa bawat hakbang ng pagbangon,” Romualdez added.

(We want every affected Filipino family to know that in times of calamity, President Marcos’ government is here to help. All of this is a reminder that you are not alone. We are with you in every step toward recovery.)

The 36 congressional districts set to benefit from the ₱360 million AKAP fund and related relief efforts include those represented by Reps. Bienvenido Abante Jr., Tobias “Toby” Tiangco, Dennis “Alden” Almario, Dean Asistio, Arjo Atayde, Jorge Daniel Bocobo, Antonino Calixto, Joel Chua, Ma. Victoria Co-Pilar, Ricardo Cruz Jr., Ernesto Dionisio Jr., Edgar Erice, Jaime Fresnedi, Gerald Galang, Kenneth Gatchalian, Alexandria Gonzales, Monique Lagdameo, Giselle Maceda, Oscar Malapitan, Eric Olivarez, and Antolin “Lenlen” Oreta III.

Also among the recipients are the districts of Reps. Franz Pumaren, Romero “Miro” Quimbo, Roman Romulo, Mark Anthony Santos, Jesus “Bong” Suntay, Marcy Teodoro, Irwin Tieng, Ralph Wendel Tulfo, Rolando Valeriano, Patrick Michael “PM” Vargas, Brian Raymund Yamsuan, Ysabel Maria Zamora, Gil Acosta, Jose Alvarez, and Rosalie Salvame.

Romualdez’s office and Tingog Party-list have also reactivated its Relief Coordination Desk, the same mechanism used to facilitate large-scale aid during the pandemic and previous typhoons. The desk serves as a central link between affected lawmakers, national agencies, and local responders.

In Marikina, many evacuees were served hot meals by Tingog volunteers, with more expected as river levels continue to rise. Similar operations were conducted in Quezon City and Manila.

Romualdez said the proactive move to allocate AKAP funds and relief goods reflects hard-learned lessons from past disasters where delays in response had serious consequences. He stressed the importance of readiness and coordination.

“Natutunan na natin ang hirap kapag huli ang aksyon. Kaya ngayon pa lang, naglatag na tayo ng tulong para hindi na kailangang maghintay pa ang mga kababayan natin (We’ve learned the hardship that comes from delayed action. That’s why we’ve already put support in place—so our fellow citizens won’t have to wait any longer),” the former House leader said.

Typhoon "Crising" brought days of torrential rain to Luzon and nearby provinces, overwhelming drainage systems, and displacing thousands of families. The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) has warned of more rainfall in the coming days.

The offices of Romualdez and Tingog also served hot meals to flood-affected Metro Manila residents as the heavy downpour swamped many cities in the National Capital Region (NCR).

In Barangay Malanday, Marikina City, a total of 989 families or around 2,400 individuals were forced to evacuate. Tingog volunteers, in coordination with local partners, served hot chicken sopas to evacuees.

In Quezon City, 766 families sought refuge at the Bagong Silangan Elementary School evacuation center as floodwaters rose in the area. Offiicals organized a hot meal distribution therecon Monday night.

Meanwhile in the city of Manila, floodwaters and a simultaneous fire incident affected 120 families in Barangay 420, Zone 43, Nagtahan. Tingog provided cups of hot lugaw to evacuees, with coordination from Manila Rep. Giselle Maceda and Barangay Secretary Nimfa Domingo.

“Maraming naapektuhan at gutom ang pangunahing concern ng mga kababayan natin. Kaya minadali namin ang pagpadala ng hot meals, and this is just the start. Mas marami pa tayong relief missions sa darating na mga araw,” Romualdez said.

(Many of our people have been affected, and hunger remains their top concern. That's why we rushed to send out hot meals, and this is just the start. More relief missions are on the way in the coming days.)