4Ps comes ahead of PSA, NEDA data

The Department of Social Welfare and Development on Monday said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. came ahead of the latest data that the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) and the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) has released last week that Filipino poor families still grind with P21 food spending per family member.

In a press conference at the DSWD headquarters in Quezon City, Secretary Rex Gatchalian said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has already given the go signal to the amendment of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) Act “to upscale” the program for poverty alleviation.

“(We have to amend the law) by 2026 the increase funds will be available in the budget,” Gatchalian said.

“The President is ahead of the story of P21,” he added, referring that the 4Ps is the Marcos administration’s flagship anti-poverty program.

Gatchalian said though they could not make a broad statement, the 17.5 million poor individuals referred by the two agencies mentioned, DSWD is weighing the problem by the number of poor families.

With this as a gauge, (average poor families has five members) the number would be trimmed to 3.5 million to 4.4 million poor families who are targeted with goverment intervention through the DSWD.