00:00Once again, the leadership of the Camera defended the aid for the Kapos Angkita Program or AKAP through congressmen.
00:08They will fight for the return of the funds for the 2025 General Appropriations Bill.
00:13Even though some senators are against it.
00:16This is what Mela Lesmora said.
00:21The leadership of the Camera is against the return of the funds for the 2025 General Appropriations Bill
00:27which is more than 39 billion pesos for the aid for the Kapos Angkita Program or AKAP.
00:33This was raised by the committee of the Senate in their own version of how the funds are considered
00:38something that congressmen did not like.
00:40According to House Speaker Martin Romualdez,
00:43it is better if the senators listen to the voice of the people here
00:47so that they know how important AKAP is.
00:50AKAP is a type of special assistance for low-income and minimum-wage earners.
00:56What we hear from the other senators is that they don't understand
01:01because they don't go down too much.
01:04That's why I will tell our friends in the Senate to go around first
01:09and ask the town hall what they want.
01:12From what I see, from all of our visits, they like it and support this program.
01:19This was also supported by the House Committee on Appropriations Chair Elizaldi Co.
01:23At the upcoming bicameral conference committee meeting on the 2025 budget proposal,
01:28Speaker Romualdez also raised the issue of returning the allocation to AKAP.
01:33Co. said that they will not allow the most vital socialized program of the government to disappear,
01:38which is a big thing while the salary is not rising and many sectors are earning in the society.
01:44According to him, the other senators also agree.
01:46I guess if we will criticize,
01:49criticize in the sense that we should improve the program, not to totally abolish the program.
01:55I think it's been a smashing success so far.
01:57A lot of things were helped by AKAP now and if it will disappear or if outright it will be removed,
02:04I think it will be a big blow to the social amelioration program of the national government.
02:07According to the House Committee on Appropriations,
02:10in Metro Manila alone, more than half a million Filipinos benefited from AKAP this year.
02:15The target of the authorities is to approve the budget for the next year before December ends
02:22to ensure that the services and programs of the government will not disappear.
