The proposed P5.768-trillion national budget for 2024 will include a significant P450 billion in financial assistance for poor and low-income families, according to Speaker Martin Romualdez.
Congress has allocated P300 billion to provide one-time cash assistance of P5,000 each to 12 million poor households and 48 million low-income families.
The cash aid program, known as AKAP or Ayuda sa Kapos ang Kita, aims to directly assist individuals earning up to P23,000 per month, including low-income workers in construction, factories, transportation, and food service.
In addition to the cash aid, the budget also designates P23 billion for the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation program and P30 billion for the Department of Labor and Employment’s TUPAD program, which supports workers.
The 2024 Philippine budget bolsters food security with P80 billion for irrigation, while allocating P1 billion each to key specialty hospitals like PGH and strengthening regional healthcare with P1.5 billion for kidney transplants and P500 million for a Palawan fishermen’s shelter port.
These budget allocations demonstrate the government’s commitment to providing comprehensive support to vulnerable communities and ensuring the development of critical infrastructure and essential services across the country.
Source: PhilNews24 | December 20, 2023
