Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
Third Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL No. 10700 
____________________________________________________________________________ 
Introduced by: HONORABLE ROSEMARIE CONEJOS PANOTES 
_____________________________________________________________________________ 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The granting of Ayuda sa Kapos ang Kita Program (AKAP) by the Department of Social 
Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) was mandated under the Special Provision No. 3 of the 
General Appropriations Act of 2024. The paramount objective of the Program is to provide 
financial assistance to minimum wage earners falling under the category of low income that were 
severely affected by rising inflation.  
Many of qualified beneficiaries of this Program have been clamouring that this shall be 
made a permanent fixture of the government’s assistance to low-income earners who had been 
severely affected by the skyrocketing cost of prime commodities.  
Through this Program, the government, through DSWD extends, in the form of outright 
cash, food assistance, medical assistance, funeral assistance and cash relief assistance, and 
through the local government units, rice assistance, also in the form of outright cash, to purchase 
rice in order to meet the nutritional requirements for sustenance. The amount of assistance is 
subject to certain requirements and limitations prescribed under this Act.  
Due to the immense success of the Program in alleviating the plight of the vulnerable and 
disadvantaged minimum wage earners, there is a need to make this permanent that whoever 
will govern the country, the granting of AKAP will continue so that the target beneficiaries and 
their families needing immediate intervention may have access to basic services from the 
government. 
In view of the foregoing reasons, the immediate approval of this important piece of 
legislation is earnestly sought. 
  ROSEMARIE CONEJOS PANOTES 
         Representative  
  Second District, Camarines Norte 
July 17, 2024
6:30 pm


Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
Third Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL No. 10700 
____________________________________________________________________________ 
Introduced by: HONORABLE ROSEMARIE CONEJOS PANOTES 
_____________________________________________________________________________ 
AN ACT 
INSTITUTIONALIZING THE GRANTING OF AYUDA SA KAPOS ANG KITA PROGRAM (AKAP) OF THE 
DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL WELFARE AND DEVELOPMENT (DSWD), AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS 
THEREFOR 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives 
of the Philippines in Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title. – This Act shall be known as the “Ayuda sa Kapos ang Kita 
Program (AKAP) Act.” 
SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. – It is hereby declared the policy of the State to affirm labor 
as a primary social economic force and to protect the rights of minimum wage earners and 
promote their welfare. Toward this end, the disadvantaged workers, and families must be lifted 
from the quagmire of poverty by providing assistance geared towards alleviating and improving 
the quality of life of every worker, especially the minimum wage earners. 
SEC. 3. Definition of Terms. – As used in this Act, the following terms shall mean: 
a. Akap - refers to the Ayuda sa Kapos ang Kita Program of the Department of
Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) that will provide financial assistance
to minimum wage earners falling under the category of low income;
b. Beneficiary - pertains to an individual whose income does not exceed the
statutory minimum wage and who is severely affected by the rising inflation;
c.
Case Summary - pertains to a document prepared by any professional social
worker that shall state the socio-economic situation of the client or
beneficiary, as well as his or her assessment and recommendation for said
client or beneficiary;
d. Certificate of Eligibility (CE) - refers to the document issued by the DSWD,
proving that the client is eligible to receive the services under the AKAP;
e. Crossmatching - refers to the process of checking the information or data sets
provided by the beneficiary or representative and counter-checking it with the
information and data sets in the DSWD database;
f.
General Intake Sheet (GIS) – refers to the form used by the DSWD social
workers to obtain basic information of the beneficiary and the authorized
representative, the problem presented, and the assessment and
recommended assistance;
g. Guarantee Letter (GL) – refers to a document issued by the DSWD in favour of
the beneficiary addressed to service providers to guarantee the payment of
goods or services;
h. Minimum Wage Earners – refers to the low-income individuals earning
minimum wages mandated by the respective Regional Tripartite Wgae and
Productivity Board (RTWPB) of the Department of Labor and Employment
(DOLE);
i.
Service Providers – refers to hospitals, funeral homes and other service
providers such as but not limited to, diagnostic laboratories, clinics,


drugstores, among others which are willing to accept the GLs issued by the 
DSWD for payment of goods or services for the beneficiary; and 
j. Social Case Study Report (SCSR) – refers to the document prepared by a 
professional Social Worker in public and private practice, that describes in 
detail the situation and conditions of the beneficiary, including his/her social 
history. The document likewise includes assessment, plan for intervention and 
recommendation. 
 
SEC. 4. Modalities in Providing Assistance under the Program. – The grant of 
financial assistance to qualified beneficiaries shall be implemented through the 
Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and through its partner, local 
government units subject to the following guidelines: 
 
A. Implementation through the DSWD 
 
The qualified beneficiaries who need financial assistance for goods and 
services may avail of the following: 
  
a) Food Assistance 
b) Medical Assistance 
c) Funeral Assistance 
d) Cash Relief Assistance 
 
Financial Assistance may be given in outright cash if the amount of 
assistance ranges from five thousand pesos (P5,000.00) to P15,000.00), subject to 
the assessment of the DSWD worker. For assistance above fifteen thousand pesos 
(P15,000.00), the same shall be provided through a Guarantee Letter approved by 
the Secretary of the DSWD or his duly authorized representative.  
 
The distribution of assistance is without prejudice to adoption of digital 
payment solutions once the necessary infrastructure is in place.  
 
B. Implementation through Local Government Units 
 
The financial assistance that will be provided to qualified beneficiaries 
through the LGUs shall be called rice assistance. This form of assistance shall be 
used to purchase rice to meet the nutritional requirements for sustenance. For 
this purpose the DSWD shall enter into a Memorandum of Agreement with the 
local government units to provide the details of the transfer of funds and the 
requirements for its liquidation, in accordance with the existing budgeting, 
accounting and auditing rules and regulations. 
 
The amount of rice assistance that can be provided to qualified 
beneficiaries shall be equivalent to half of the cost of twenty-five (25) kilograms 
of rice based on the suggested retail price from the Department of Agriculture 
(DA). The amount of each transfer to the LGU shall not exceed Thirty million pesos 
(P30,000,000.00).  
 
The financial assistance under this Act may complement any support 
provided by the LGU, government agencies, and non-government organizations. 
A beneficiary who has received rice assistance through the LGU may still qualify to 
receive medical, funeral or cash relief assistance from the DSWD subject to the 
requirements under this Act, and professional assessment of the DSWD social 
worker.  
 
SEC. 5. Implementing Rules and Regulations. – Within six (6) months from the 
effectivity of this Act, the Secretary of the DSWD shall promulgate the necessary rules and 
regulations to implement this Act. 
 
SEC. 6. Appropriations.  The amount necessary to implement this Act shall be 
charged against the appropriations of the DSWD of the year following its enactment into 
law and thereafter.  


 
SEC. 7. Repealing Clause. – All laws, decrees, executive orders or issuances, 
administrative orders, rules and regulations contrary to or inconsistent with this Act are 
hereby amended, repealed or modified accordingly. 
 
Approved,