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Residents receive cash assistance as part of the government's Social Amelioration Program in Malibay in Pasay City on May 1, 2020. File/Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News

 

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NEP 2026 proposes zero funding for AKAP, P274.9-B for flood-control projects

Vivienne Gulla

ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA -- The controversial Ayuda Para sa Kapos ang Kita Program is proposed to get zero funding under the Marcos Jr. administration’s 2026 National Expenditure Program.</p><p>Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman explained that the AKAP still has remaining funds from this year, and fiscal space for next year is “limited”.</p><p>“May natitira pa pong pondo for 2025. Given our limited fiscal space, hindi pa po muna natin siya isinama,” she said.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/3/31/akap-implementation-hard-to-stop-amid-concerns-palace-1503">AKAP implementation hard to stop amid concerns - Palace</a></div><p>P26 billion has been earmarked for the program in 2025, targeting to help more than 5 million beneficiaries.</p><p>Critics claimed that AKAP is a form of pork barrel, which House leaders and the DSWD denied.</p><p>Asked whether the lower chamber will push for AKAP funding next year, House Committee on Appropriations Chairperson Rep. Mikaela Suansing said “it’s an ongoing discussion”, but noted that several House members see the value of the program.</p><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3yzpuFqboC4?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><p>“We’ve been seeing how it’s been helpful to many of our constituencies. Ang daming natutulungan… ‘Yung hindi naaabot ng AICS dati,” she explained.</p><p>“I’ll also have to confer with my colleagues in the House as to what the position of the House is,” Suansing added.</p><p>Meantime, the proposed allocation for the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program or 4Ps next year is at P112.9B.</p><div><strong>CONFIDENTIAL AND INTELLIGENCE FUNDS</strong></div><p>The 2026 NEP proposes P10.8 billion for confidential and intelligence funds, 11.2 percent lower than the current year, according to the DBM. Of this amount, P4.4 billion are confidential funds, and P6.4 billion are intelligence funds.</p><p>The Office of the President has the biggest CIF allocation in the 2026 NEP at P4.5 billion, followed by the Department of National Defense with P1.85 billion.</p><p>A total of P2.29 billion is proposed to be allocated for the Anti-Money Laundering Council, the Games and Amusement Board, the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency, the National Security Council, the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity, and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.</p><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/To7jLjUR7aE?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><p>The Office of the Ombudsman is proposed to receive P51 million in CIF, while the Commission on Audit is proposed to get P10 million.</p><p>Similar to the last year and the current year, there is no CIF requested for the Office of the Vice President.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/3/10/sara-duterte-urged-to-name-recipients-of-secret-funds-1803">&#x27;Xiaome Ocho&#x27;? Sara Duterte urged to name recipients of confidential funds</a></div><p>It has a proposed 2026 budget of nearly P903 million under the NEP, slightly higher than the current year.</p><div><strong>FLOOD CONTROL</strong></div><p>The proposed funding for flood control projects next year is at P274.9 billion. Of this amount, P2.59 billion is under the MMDA. The rest is under the Department of Public Works and Highways.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/8/11/15-contractors-cornered-p100-b-worth-of-flood-control-projects-since-2022-marcos-1053">15 contractors cornered P100-B worth of flood control projects since 2022: Marcos</a></div><p>“I think or I hope, because flood control projects are now under the microscope, that our fellow legislators will be discouraged in doing the wrong things,” House Majority Leader and Presidential Son Sandro Marcos said.</p><p>“I think there should be a master plan that should be followed. I don&#x27;t think it should be arbitrarily decided upon year after year. I think the identification as to what and where the most flood-prone areas are quite apparent and have been apparent for numerous years. We already know what the top 10 flood-prone areas are. Doon tayo maglagay ng flood control,” he added.</p><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VXnHL6YmvGc?&amp;pp=0gcJCa0JAYcqIYzv&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><p>“Dapat pinagplanuhan at may corresponding FS and studies ‘yung mga flood control projects na nakapasok sa Department of Public Works and Highways and the MMDA. So expect them to fully complete and tama ‘yung mga lugar na pinaglagyan nila ng flood control projects,” Pangandaman, for her part, said.</p><div><strong>CAN’T BE TOO FAR FROM NEP?</strong></div><p>House Majority Leader Marcos vowed that he will not allow the passage of a proposed budget at the lower chamber that is “too far” from the NEP.</p><p>His father, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., warned lawmakers during his SONA against insertions in next year’s budget, saying that he would not sign a fresh spending bill if it is not aligned with the National Expenditure Program.</p><p>“I will not allow a budget on the floor to pass that is a mutation of the NEP or that has become too far off of the NEP or that is become too far off from the NEP. As majority leader, I won&#x27;t allow it to happen,” Rep. Marcos said.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/8/13/dbm-transmits-2026-national-expenditure-program-to-congress-1058">DBM transmits proposed P6.79-T budget for 2026 to Congress</a></div><p>“It&#x27;s the prerogative of the House to pull from certain agencies that haven&#x27;t been utilizing their funds. It&#x27;s part of the checks and balances of the branches of government. But again, if there is a tendency in which it&#x27;s taken too far, which the President thinks happened last year, that was his logic. And that&#x27;s what he was alluding to when he said he wasn&#x27;t scared to reenact the budget. Because sa tingin naman ng Pangulo, sumobra naman last year. So, I won&#x27;t allow that,” he explained, when asked whether the President was not encroaching on the powers of Congress.</p><p>Budget deliberations will start at the House of Representatives on Monday, two weeks ahead of the previous schedule.</p><p>Suansing also thanked her Senate counterparts for approving the House’s request to adjust the legislative calendar—giving lawmakers more time to scrutinize the proposed 2026 national budget.</p><p>Under the amended calendar, session adjournment moves to October 11th from the previous October 4th.</p><script data-wid="auto" type="text/javascript" src="https://content.viralize.tv/display/?zid=AAFz8gWM8iRADsJr&amp;cid=ABeadz9-0NRFkpSx"></script>

<p>The controversial Ayuda Para sa Kapos ang Kita Program is eyed to get zero funding in the 2026 National Expenditure Program.</p>

The controversial Ayuda Para sa Kapos ang Kita Program is eyed to get zero funding in the 2026 National Expenditure Program.

Zero funding eyed for AKAP in 2026; flood control to get P274.9-B

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Zero funding eyed for AKAP in 2026; flood control to get P274.9-B

Vivienne Gulla,

ABS-CBN News

Published August 13, 2025 08:26 PM PHT

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Updated August 13, 2025 11:13 PM PHT

Read More:

ABSnews

ANC Promo

National Expenditure Program

2026 NEP

AKAP

Confidential funds

Flood control programs

Marcos administration

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