DSWD says ayuda program not pork barrel

MANILA, Philippines — The Ayuda para sa Kapos ang Kita Program (AKAP) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is not a form of pork barrel and barangay officials are not involved in choosing its beneficiaries.

Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian made the clarification yesterday in reaction to an earlier statement of retired Supreme Court senior associate justice Antonio Carpio that cash assistance under AKAP “resembles the controversial pork barrel” and that “barangay officials submit the list of beneficiaries.”

According to Gatchalian, the list of AKAP beneficiaries are being vetted by the agency’s social workers and not by barangay officials.

“Let me reiterate that all the DSWD’s field offices across the country serve people in need, whether they are walk-in clients or were referred to by local government unit (LGU) officials. DSWD social workers process applications for AKAP and they determine the amount of aid to qualified beneficiaries,” he pointed out.

He said “nowhere” in the AKAP guidelines are barangay officials empowered to make a list of beneficiaries of the cash assistance.

“With due respect to the former Supreme Court justice, AKAP is not pork barrel since any good Samaritan can refer potential beneficiaries and the barangay has nothing to do with AKAP based on our existing guidelines,” he added.

Gatchalian said legislators and local officials can refer “potential aid recipients” but it’s DSWD social workers who are responsible for the vetting of the beneficiaries to make sure they are eligible based on AKAP guidelines.