AKAP AID. A social worker helps distribute financial assistance through the Ayuda sa Kapos Ang Kita Program (AKAP) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development-Central Visayas (DSWD-7). DSWD-7 Assistant Regional Director for Administration Tonyson Luther Lee said a total of PHP40.5 million worth of financial aid were given to 8,114 recipients from the south of Cebu. (Photo courtesy of DSWD-7)
CEBU CITY – A total of PHP40.5 million in financial assistance has been released to 8,114 beneficiaries of the Ayuda sa Kapos Ang Kita Program (AKAP) in southern Cebu province, a social welfare official said on Tuesday.
Tonyson Luther Lee, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)-7 assistant regional director for administration, said the recipients were from informal sectors such as job order workers, drivers, construction workers, and market vendors.
“With over 8,000 beneficiaries of the PHP40.5 million worth of financial assistance, we hope we made an impact on the lives of people in Cebu amid the increasing prices of commodities,” he said.
Farmers, fisherfolk, and members of the LGBTQIA+ community identified by their local government units and assessed by the DSWD were also listed as recipients of the assistance.
AKAP aims to assist low-income and minimum-wage earners affected by high inflation or increasing prices of basic commodities, Lucero said.
A 76-year-old beneficiary, Benny Villaver, a tricycle driver and barangay official of Mohon village, Talisay City, Cebu was greatly affected by the challenges posed by volatile gasoline prices and the growing popularity of ride-hailing services competing with other drivers.
“It’s difficult to get customers nowadays because a lot of people are using their cellular phones to book a service, and I also do not have a GCash app, which others are now using,” Villaver said in Cebuano. (PNA)
