LEGAZPI CITY: Residents classified as near-poor of those in the low-income bracket received financial aid at the launch of the Ayuda para sa Kapos ang Kita Program (AKAP) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in the Bicol Region on Saturday.
Ian Boy Loterte, from Market Site in Daraga, Albay, headed home with his earnings as a tricycle driver and PHP3,000 from AKAP.
“Thank you to the DSWD and President (Ferdinand R.) Marcos (Jr.) because people like me now receive aid. It feels good to go home with extra income for my family. I will go home with more this day,” Loterte, 29, told told the Philippine News Agency in the vernacular. ‘It’s fair that government assistance is now given to all. We also need help. Even if we’re earning, it’s not enough.”
Loterte, his wife and three children — aged 7, 6, and 1 — survive with his daily income of PHP350.
The assistance he received would be for the maintenance of his tricycle and food for the family.
“I hope there will be more to come because m
y expenses will no longer be deducted from my income. I can buy tires for my tricycle and repair some parts that will last for more than six months, ensuring the safety of my passengers,” he said.
Arlan Mendez, 31, of Barangay San Roque, said living with minimum wage is not enough because they pay for house rental.
“‘Yung mga ganitong tulong, sobrang pasalamat ako. Hindi ko na ito hahanapin. Magpipila na lang. Sa tagal ng panahon, sa wakas na-isabay din kami. Ngayon lang nangyari ito (I’m very grateful for the help. I won’t look for money anymore. I’ll just stand in line. We finally got included. This happened just now),” he said while making a thumbs-up gesture.
In a statement, Speaker Martin Romualdez said at least a million beneficiaries in 334 areas nationwide will receive PHP3,000 each at the launch.
AKAP has an allocation of PHP26.7 billion in the 2024 budget of the DSWD.
‘Sa utos ng Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., binuo natin ang programang ito para tulungan ang ating mga kababayang mahihirap na
apektado ng pagtaas ng mga presyo o (Upon the directive of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., we created this program to help poor Filipinos affected by the rising prices or) inflation,’ Romualdez said.
To qualify for the cash aid, one must belong to the low-income category, or whose income does not exceed the minimum wage.
The AKAP assistance includes funeral and medical benefits.
In an interview, DSWD-Bicol AKAP chief Donna Osial said for the Bicol Region, a total of 14,770 minimum wage earners received cash aid during the simultaneous payout in 14 venues in Albay, Camarines Sur, Camarines Norte, Catanduanes, Sorsogon and Masbate.
The region’s minimum wage is PHP395. Kasambahay (household help), cooks and gardeners get PHP5,000 monthly.
“The AKAP is part of the government’s commitment to alleviate the economic hardships faced by communities, especially amidst the inflation, to ensure that no one is left behind. Most of the beneficiaries were tricycle drivers, laborers, sales ladies, and domestic helpers,
” she said.
DSWD-Bicol Director Norman Laurio said the program is not only to provide temporary help but also to give hope and inspiration to each beneficiary.
“The Marcos administration aims to ease the burden of our countrymen and help them get out of poverty,” he said in an interview. “With the help of our local governments, partner organizations, and other stakeholders, we will ensure that every cent of aid reaches our fellow Bicolanos who are most in need.”
Source: Philippines News Agency
