Marcos puts AKAP under ‘conditional implementation’

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has approved the funding next year for the Ayuda Para sa Kapos ang Kita Program (AKAP) but placed it under conditional implementation.

During the signing of the P6.326-trillion 2025 General Appropriations Act in a ceremony at Malacañang in Manila on Monday, Marcos vetoed P194 billion in line items he deemed inconsistent with the administration’s priorities.

In a speech, Marcos said the AKAP was among the items that would be placed under conditional implementation to “ensure that the people’s funds are utilized in accordance with their authorized and stated purpose.”

He directed the program be carried out in coordination with the Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Labor and Employment, and the National Economic and Development Authority.

“This way, we ensure that its implementation will be strategic, leading to the long-term improvement of the lives of the qualified beneficiaries while guarding against misuse, duplication, and fragmented benefits,” Marcos said.

“This approach is anchored on a simple yet profound truth: the appropriation of public funds must not break the public trust,” he said.

The P26-billion allocation for the DSWD’s AKAP program was a key point of debate in the 2025 national budget.