The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Tuesday welcomed the swift and favorable response of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to the agency's request for additional contractual positions for the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).

"We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the DBM, headed by Secretary Amenah Pangandaman, for the creation of these new contractual positions that will further enhance the delivery of services under 4Ps," DSWD Assistant Secretary for Disaster Response and Management Group (DRMG) Irene Dumlao, who is also the agency spokesperson said.

Dumlao said the creation of 4,200 Project Development Officer (PDO) II items is part of the DSWD's commitment, under Secretary Rex Gatchalian's leadership, to lessen the workloads of the 4Ps workforce on the grounds, specifically the provincial and the municipal links.

"These contractual items will substantially alleviate the caseload burden on our dedicated frontline workers, allowing them to focus more on the individual needs of 4Ps beneficiaries, as well as enhancing the quality and efficiency of our case management," Dumlao explained.

The agency spokesperson emphasized that this initiative will provide security of tenure to the agency's workforce, who are mostly engaged with the DSWD through a cost-of-service agreement or job order employment status.

"We firmly believe that investing in the 4Ps workforce will aid the DSWD in uplifting families out of poverty. We commend the DBM for recognizing the importance of this initiative and for their commitment to supporting our efforts in protecting our personnel, and in serving the poor Filipino people, as a whole," Dumlao pointed out.

The 4Ps is the national poverty reduction strategy and a human capital investment program of the Philippine government that the DSWD is implementing and caters to 4.4 million household-beneficiaries nationwide.