DSWD programs, now with Akap, exempted anew from poll ban

DSWD Sec. Rex Gatchalian —Ssenate PRIB

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has exempted 28 programs, including the controversial Ayuda Para sa Kapos ang Kita Program (Akap), from the ban on the release, disbursement and spending of public funds 45 days before the May elections.

Comelec Chair George Garcia on Wednesday, approved, as authorized by the commission en banc, the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) exemption request.

The exemption is subject to conditions, including that no candidate or politician must be present during the distribution of assistance “in whatever nature/form.”

No self-promotion

The DSWD has asked the poll body that it be allowed to spend P882.9 million under the Akap initiative for the period March 28-May 11.

Akap was one of the most contentious items in the 2025 national budget with critics like retired Supreme Court senior associate justice Antonio Carpio saying it resembled the pork barrel with barangay officials submitting the list of beneficiaries.

However, DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian clarified that the barangay is not involved in the process and DSWD social workers screen the beneficiaries. DSWD said that almost 5 million “near poor” Filipinos benefitted from Akap, which is meant to cater to minimum wage earners severely affected by inflation, from January to December last year.

DSWD programs were also exempted from the election spending ban in 2022.

In its exemption application, the DSWD described Akap as “a timely initiative of the Philippine government to assist the near-poor segment of the population, responding to the economic difficulties of Filipinos earning minimum wage.”

Akap will be implemented by the DSWD’s crisis intervention units/sections in the central office and the social welfare and development satellite offices.

“We won’t interfere with how these will be distributed or implemented. For us, [our concern] is that these will not be used in campaigning or promotion of oneself … but the DSWD must comply with the conditionalities that we put there. And one of the most important … is that no politician or candidate should be present during the distribution of the assistance, regardless of its name, nature [or] form,” Garcia told reporters.

Other programs exempted

Aside from Akap, other programs and services exempted from the spending ban were the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), P38.40 billion; Walang Gutom Program, P7.25 billion; Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS), P7.58 billion; Tara Basa! Tutoring Program, P1.08 billion; and “financial assistance that [is] routinely and normally given by the department to qualified individuals” at P3.07 billion.

Also exempted were the Sustainable Livelihood Program, P511.43 million; services for residential and center-based clients, P33.45 million; supplementary feeding program; P96.93 million; social pension for indigent senior citizens, P401.61 million; cash incentives under the Centenarians Act, P15.17 million; two programs for protective services for individuals and families in difficult circumstances, worth P29.40 million and P2.08 million;

Services to displaced persons (deportees), P4 million; recovery and reintegration program for trafficked persons, P0.62 million; assistance to persons with disability and senior citizens, P0.38 million; National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction, P1.51 million; Kalahi-CIDSS-KKB, P257.79 million; Philippines Multi-Sectoral Nutrition Project, P44.35 million; Bangsamoro Umpungan sa Nutrisyon, P123.26 million; two Pamana peace and development and livelihood programs worth P47.29 million and P534.28 million; Pag-Abot Program, P500.37 million;

Kalahi-CIDSS-National Community-Driven Development Program additional financing, P0.56 million; Beneficiary First Project, P238.70 million; Trust Receipt, P395.65 million; Enhanced Partnership Against Hunger and Poverty, P4.64 million; and social technology development and enhancement, P32.50 million.

Faithful observance

The Comelec has instructed the DSWD to furnish it with the guidelines for using the funds.

Section 261 (v) of the Omnibus Election Code (OEC) prohibits the release, disbursement, or expenditure of public funds 45 days before a regular election.

Exemptions are allowed but they must be applied for by the government agency concerned and approved by the Comelec. The deadline for the filing of exemption requests is on Feb. 11 as stipulated under Comelec Resolution No. 11060 approved in September last year.

The resolution also states that the exemption may be revoked if there is a misrepresentation or false statement in the request, including the submitted supporting documents, or if violations of the conditions of the exemption are committed.