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As budget watchdogs feared, administration-affiliated candidates have begun distributing government assistance programs — Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged Workers (TUPAD), Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS), and Ayuda para sa Kapos ang Kita Program (AKAP) — as campaign tools. Reports indicate these candidates are handling recipient lists for the Department of Social Welfare and Development-managed programs.
While distributing government aid during campaigns isn’t prohibited outright, election laws impose strict regulations to prevent political misuse. The critical concern remains preventing these programs from becoming vote buying vehicles that undermine fair elections.
AKAP distributions remain permitted until 1 May under Commission on Elections-approved protocols, provided they maintain political neutrality. However, from 2 to 12 May, AKAP payouts are banned except for emergency medical or burial assistance. Similarly, TUPAD and AICS distributions may continue if executed apolitically and for their intended purposes. Sections 261(v) and 261(a) of the Omnibus Election Code, alongside Comelec resolutions, prohibit converting welfare programs into electoral handouts. Violations — such as conditioning aid on campaign support — carry legal penalties. Yet the troubling reality persists: program administrators running for office often control beneficiary slots at the barangay level.
A magnitude 7.7 earthquake originating in Myanmar on 28 March triggered the catastrophic collapse of a 30-story Thai government building under construction in Bangkok — located nearly 500 kilometers from the epicenter. The auditor general’s office project, undertaken by China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC), pancaked despite being incomplete and unloaded.
CRCC’s Asian portfolio includes Philippine projects like a Metro Manila subway line and the Kaliwa Dam, which deployed the “Jasmine” tunnel boring machine in December 2022 to supply 600,000 cubic meters of water daily to Manila. The firm initially won three “Build, Build, Build” railway contracts under the Duterte administration: the Subic-Clark Railway, Philippine National Railways South Long Haul and Mindanao Railway Project.
When China failed to disburse loans before President Duterte’s term ended, the Marcos administration abandoned Chinese financing in October 2023, pursuing Japanese and alternative funding instead. This terminated CRCC’s involvement, though its $51-billion Subic-Clark joint venture with China Harbour Engineering Co. remains contracted since 2020. Across Asia, CRCC’s projects reflect mixed completion rates amid ambitious expansion.
