House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez on Tuesday visited SM malls to launch the Ayuda Para sa Kapos ang Kita (AKAP) Program. Over 53,000 mall employees and tenants’ employees received a total of P268 million in financial aid.
Speaker Romualdez said the AKAP Mall Tour is in response to President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s call for a whole-of-government approach to address the impact of inflation and rising costs of basic necessities and help minimum wage earners, low-income workers and those financially distressed cope with the present economic challenges.
The AKAP program aims to provide financial aid to minimum wage earners and the financially needy.
The Speaker promoted the program at SM Mall of Asia, SM Megamall, SM North, and SM Fairview.
“Dito lang sa Mall of Asia, 17,500 beneficiaries ay makakatanggap ng P5,000 in cash at limang kilo po ng bigas,” Romualdez said. “Ito ang mensahe ng ating mahal na presidente na dapat happy ang mga Pilipino, dapat happy po kayo,” (Here at Mall of Asia, 17,500 beneficiaries will receive P5,000 in cash and 5 kilos of rice. The message of our beloved President that Filipinos should be happy. You should be happy.)
Pasay City Representative Antonino G. Calixto, who accompanied the Speaker at MOA, thanked the Speaker on behalf of the city.
With the Speaker in SM Megamall were 3rd District of Quezon City Congressman Franz Pumaren, Pasig City Representative Roman Romulo, and Mandaluyong Congressman Neptali Gonzales II.
“Ang dami pong lumalapit, sinasabi gusto nilang mapaabot sayo yung pasasalamat po nila kasi sa totoo, wala naman raw pumapansin sa kanila dati,” Romulo said. (Many have approached, saying they want to extend to their thanks. According to them, no one gave them attention in the past.)
“Pero ngayon dahil sa programa po na inilunsad po ninyo, napakaraming matutulungan na low-income and minimum wage earners,” he added. (But now, due to this program that you have launched, so many minimum wage earners and low-income individuals will be helped.)
“Ngayon lang ho nangyari ito na talagang diretsyong bumababa yung mga programang social services na nanggagaling ho sa national sa pamamagitan ho ng opisina ng ating pangulo,” Gonzales said. (This is the first time that social services on the national level are brought down to this level, through the Office of the President.)
In SM North, the Speaker was accompanied by Quezon City Representative Franz Pumaren.
“Ito po ay isang idea ng aming Speaker of the House,” Pumaren said. (This is the idea of the Speaker of the House.)
While in SM Fairview, Novaliches Representative Patrick Michael Vargas joined Speaker Romualdez and Pumaren.
They discussed the benefits and the decision-making of the program, thanked those who came, and assured them that the beneficiaries are receiving cash assistance and rice as aid for those who earn minimum wage.