AKAP Program 2025 Philippines: Aid to Continue, Says Palace
3 min read
APRIL 1,2025
MANILA, Philippines — Despite mounting calls to suspend the Ayuda para sa Kapos ang Kita Program (AKAP), Malacañang announced that the cash aid initiative will push through in 2025, citing the pressing needs of many Filipino families relying on it for survival.
Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary Claire Castro defended the program during a recent press briefing, saying, “It’s hard to stop giving aid to the people. They rely on that.”
Why the Government Defends the AKAP Program 2025 Philippines
The Palace’s stance comes as multiple sectors raise red flags over AKAP’s alleged use as a political tool in the lead-up to the May 2025 elections. Critics claim the program has become a vehicle for vote buying and political maneuvering.
Groups such as 1Sambayan Coalition, Sanlakas, and Advocates for National Interest have already filed a petition with the Supreme Court, seeking a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) on the AKAP implementation, branding it as a disguised congressional pork barrel scheme.
However, Undersecretary Castro pointed to the rising hunger rate in the Philippines, revealed by a recent Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey, to justify the continued rollout of AKAP. “The hunger rate is allegedly increasing even though we have many aid programs,” she said. “If we stop now, many of our countrymen will suffer.”
Education Groups Challenge 2025 National Budget
Adding fuel to the national debate, several education and human rights groups filed a separate petition asking the Supreme Court to declare the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA) unconstitutional.
Petitioners include:
- Teachers’ Dignity Coalition (TDC)
- Freedom from Debt Coalition (FDC)
- Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (PAHRA)
Their main argument? The 2025 budget allegedly fails to give education the highest priority—a violation of constitutional mandates. “The education crisis is real,” said the petitioners, pointing to troubling data:
- In the 2024 World Bank Learning Poverty Index, 91% of Filipino children aged 10 cannot read and understand simple text.
- The Philippines scored only 14 out of 60 in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) test on creative thinking.
They also claim that the government padded education allocations by including budgets from unrelated institutions like:
- Philippine Military Academy (P1.6B)
- Philippine National Police Academy (P1.4B)
- Philippine Science High School System (P2.7B)
- Science Education Institute (P7.5B)
Even with those numbers, the country still falls short of the UNESCO benchmark of allocating 4-6% of GDP to education.
House Leaders Defend Budget’s Integrity
In response to the TRO, lawmakers defended the 2025 GAA, saying the budgeting process was transparent and above board.
House Assistant Majority Leader Jude Acidre insisted the law was passed through proper channels. “The 2025 national budget is regular. We welcome the SC’s scrutiny. This will reinforce the enrolled bill doctrine,” he said, referring to the legal principle that assumes a bill signed by legislative leaders is valid.
Rep. Jil Bongalon (Ako Bicol) also shot down accusations of “blank checks” within the budget. “We’re confident that no items are left blank—especially not the amounts questioned,” he said.
AKAP Program 2025 Philippines: Aid or Election Tool?
The debate over AKAP and the national budget highlights a deeper issue: how to balance urgent social aid with transparency and fair governance in the lead-up to national elections.
As the hunger crisis worsens and students continue to fall behind, the challenge for the Marcos administration is to deliver support without compromising electoral integrity or constitutional priorities.
READ MORE: Philippine Politics in 2025: Midterm Elections, Marcos-Duterte Rivalry, and the Struggle for Power
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