• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has disbursed financial assistance totaling P22.2 million to 7,440 poor families in Negros Occidental under its AKAP or Ayuda para sa Kapos ang Kita Program on May 18.
Each recipient received P3,000.
In the third and fifth districts, Reps. Jose Francisco Benitez and Emilio Bernardino Yulo witnessed the distribution of AKAP assistance to beneficiaries held simultaneously in Victorias City and Hinigaran town.
Yulo said that a total of P9,450,000 were released to 2,150 fisherfolks from 54 fisherfolk associations in Himamaylan City, Hinigaran and Binalbagan.
Of the 54, some 23 associations are from Hinigaran; 24, from Himamaylan City; and seven, from Binalbagan.
“We decided to choose the fisherfolk because they are a neglected sector when it comes to assistance from the national government,” he added.
A total of 1,200 beneficiaries from Victorias City and E.B. Magalona also received AKAP assistance.
“We are glad that this time, the near poor, who are also contributing to our economy, get the assistance from the government. This is the sector that we do not want to fall back to poverty due to economic shocks such as the inflation,” DSWD-6 Regional Director Carmelo Nochete said.
At the Ilog municipal covered court, a total of 1,313 beneficiaries received aid from AKAP, of which 744 are from the neighboring Kabankalan City and 569 are the host-town residents.
Also, 1,500 AKAP beneficiaries in Bacolod City received their shares during at the distribution rites held in Barangay Mansilingan public gym.
All over Western Visayas, a total of 20,311 near poor families, who benefitted from AKAP, received P60.9 million.
Negros Occidental has the most number of AKAP beneficiaries, with 7,440 families, followed by Iloilo – 5,222; Aklan – 1,731; Capiz – 3,414; and Antique – 2,504.
The AKAP program, which is targeted to help beneficiaries who are in the low-income category such as those whose income do not exceed the statutory minimum wage, is the national government’s response to help the near poor families affected by inflation, which is the increase in the prices of goods and services.
Households receiving regular assistance under 4Ps and social pension are not qualified for the program. | GB
