COA flags lapses in 2024 rollout of DSWD’s AKAP

The Commission on Audit (COA) flagged lapses in the implementation of the Ayuda sa Kapos ang Kita Program (AKAP), the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) social assistance program for low-income and minimum-wage earners.

In its 2024 annual audit report on the DSWD, the COA said some beneficiaries received repeated and similar assistance from different special disbursing officers (SDOs) within a three-month period, as well as overlapping assistance from AKAP and other DSWD programs.

State auditors said a total of 19,501 AKAP beneficiaries, particularly in the National Capital Region, received multiple forms of assistance “due to the inability to detect individuals receiving aid from multiple SDOs, particularly during off-site payouts.”

The report also found that 3,565 AKAP beneficiaries in the Cagayan Valley region received assistance despite having previously obtained similar aid under the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS), another DSWD program that provides immediate assistance to families or individuals affected by urgent life crises.

Meanwhile, 90 beneficiaries in the Bicol Region were granted “overlapping and duplicate financial assistance” under both AKAP and AICS.

COA said a total of P108.34 million in financial assistance was compromised due to “systemic weaknesses across multiple levels of validation, coordination, and data management.”

The audit body also flagged cases where AKAP assistance was granted to individuals despite their failure to meet eligibility requirements, including above-minimum-wage earners and college students.

COA said the DSWD Central Office released P11.92 million in AKAP assistance to 466 beneficiaries earning above the minimum wage.

“Even if these paid beneficiaries are unable to meet their basic needs due to unforeseen events, they do not qualify under the program and should have been processed under the AICS program, a stop-gap measure for individuals and families in crisis,” COA said.

In the Cagayan Valley, Calabarzon, and Caraga regions, P48.74 million worth of AKAP educational assistance was granted to senior high school and/or college students.

COA further noted that inadequate screening and assessment of beneficiaries’ eligibility under AKAP “undermined the propriety and validity of transactions, weakened the reliability of eligibility assessments by social workers, and cast doubt on the integrity of program implementation, contrary to DSWD guidelines.”

The lapses, COA added, “deprived more deserving and qualified beneficiaries of urgently needed aid.”

‘Political interference’

The audit report also cited “political interference” as a factor affecting the implementation of AKAP.

In Calabarzon, COA flagged “multiple posts from the official Facebook pages of political personalities, videos and photos of speeches during payouts highlighting political accomplishments."

Auditors also cited the "display of tarpaulins featuring the AKAP logo alongside the names and images of politicians, and speeches delivered during payouts.”

These activities showed political figures' direct involvement in the distribution process, the COA said.

In Davao Region, auditors observed signs of “electioneering,” noting that the endorsement of beneficiaries by a congressman for financial assistance through off-site AKAP implementation indicated participation in program execution.

“The deficiencies in the AKAP program’s off-site implementation revealed a systemic inability to uphold program integrity and neutrality, primarily due to political interference and ineffective control mechanisms by the DSWD,” COA said.

“The blurred lines between legitimate government assistance and political image-building compromise the credibility of social protection efforts and violate legal principles,” the report added.

For its part, the DSWD said it has already submitted its “comprehensive response” to the findings of the COA regarding the implementation of AKAP.

“Our submission clarifies DSWD’s policies and procedures, explains the context of the transactions, and outlines the measures we are undertaking to strengthen internal controls and data management systems,” Asst. Sec. Irene Dumlao, the DSWD spokesperson, said in a statement on Monday.—MCG, GMA Integrated News