The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on 7 May 2024 conducts its three-day orientation for media practitioners to enhance their understanding of the governments' poverty alleviation program through the agency's Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program or 4Ps.

4Ps, which targets the poorest of the poor families, have been misconstrued as a dole out to Filipino families.

Aldrin Fermin, DSWD Director IV for Traditional Media Services, who debunked the claims, said that the government approach to alleviate poverty thru 4Ps truly resolved the cases of the poorest of the poor in the country.

"I saw it myself when we assisted the media to communities with 4Ps members," Fermin vouched.

He added that the media is also an important partner of DSWD in informing the public how the 4Ps program works.

Joy Raquel Tadeo, Project Evaluation Officer on the other hand said that she has also proven herself wrong in thinking that 4Ps would not work.

"This (4Ps Program) really breaks poverty as other agencies are our partners including the media in helping the poorest," Tadeo said.

"Pantawid creates demand, where other agencies meet," she added.

DSWD Division Chief for 4Ps Marie Grace Ponce talked about how the program is implemented, as well as its components.

Ponce said that beneficiaries were selected via 'Listahanan', separate from the 4Ps division of the agency, which handles "the household targeting system" that conducts the standard measuring tests to poorest families.

She said, "11 million children are given a chance to finish basic education," adding that families chosen to be beneficiary of the program are assessed "if they have access to potable water, toilet, and what assets (things) they have in their houses."

The program also have a delisting process, according to Ponce.

Through the agency's grievance redress system, anyone could report if the beneficiary has defrauded the government or misrepresented themselves as poorest.