More than 761,000 “reassessed” families are set to receive cash aid from the government through the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) in time for the Christmas celebration.
The DSWD decided to renew the payout of cash aid to 761,140 “reassessed” households under the 4Ps program, including their withheld subsidies from January to September.
The 23-strong minority bloc in Congress led by 4Ps party-list Rep. Marcelino Libanan hailed the DSWD move.
“We are grateful to DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian for allowing the 761,140 reassessed household-beneficiaries to retroactively enjoy their much-needed cash grants starting November 30,” Libanan said in a statement on Sunday.
“In a recent consultative meeting between House minority members and Secretary Gatchalian, we had requested the resumption of the subsidies once the review of the conditions of the beneficiaries is completed. Right now, many poor families are getting distressed by soaring food prices. They have very little means to survive, and keeping them under the 4Ps will provide them meaningful relief,” he added.
A total of 1,158,249 households previously identified as “non-poor” went through a DSWD reassessment using social welfare and development indicators.
As a result of this review, a total of 761,140 households were found to be either at “subsistence” or “survival” levels, while 339,660 households were deemed to be “self-sufficient.”
The reconsidered families are expected to retroactively receive their withheld health and education grants starting November 30 this year and February 2024, respectively.
They will also be eligible again to receive rice subsidies.
The 339,660 self-sufficient households will undergo the 4Ps graduation process.
The government allocated P112.8 billion in 2024 to cover the 4Ps education and health grants, as well as rice subsidies of 4.4 million households, according to Libanan.
The 4Ps is the government’s flagship poverty alleviation program that focuses on human capital development by extending cash assistance to eligible poor households, subject to their compliance with education and health conditions.