MANILA: Senator Grace Poe assured on Wednesday that senators are ready to listen to counterparts from the House of Representatives who might insist on restoring the PHP39-billion fund for the Ayuda Para sa Kapos ang Kita Program (AKAP) during the bicameral conference for the 2025 General Appropriations Bill (GAB). Poe, who chairs the Senate Committee on Finance, said senators want clarifications about the program on how it truly helps ordinary Filipinos. According to Philippines News Agency, the senator expressed that while they are not entirely opposed to restoring the funds, they want to ensure that the program is justified, not redundant, and genuinely benefits those in need. Poe highlighted the rationale of AKAP as a measure to assist with inflation but deemed it insufficient, considering that inflation impacts everyone, including the wealthy. "Kasi pwede namang mayaman pero apektado ng inflation. So, yun lang naman. Bukas naman tayo sa kanilang rason (Because you can be rich but can still be affected by inflation. So, that's all. We are open to hear their reasons)," she stated. In the Senate's version of the 2025 GAB, the funding for AKAP was redirected towards senior citizens' retirement pension, the Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (Kalahi-CIDSS), and livelihood programs for farmers and fisherfolk. Senator Imee Marcos previously suggested combining AKAP with the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS) to streamline aid distribution effectively. Both AKAP and AICS are initiatives under the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) targeting different beneficiaries. AICS is designed to assist individuals facing crises and requiring immediate financial aid, whereas AKAP offers financial assistance to low-income individuals most affected by inflation, and those not included in regular poverty alleviation programs.