400K more families admitted to 4Ps

An additional 400,000 Filipino families will now be part of the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).

The DSWD reported on Sunday that the additional beneficiaries are the waitlisted families as of 31 October this year.

“These 434,317 households are next in line to replace the beneficiaries who have graduated from the program through the ‘Pugay Tagumpay’ ceremony,” DSWD spokesperson Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao said.

Additionally, there are 1.18 million Filipino households still up for verification by the DSWD to determine if they can be included in the program, based on the department’s requirements.

Filipino households must have a member aged 0-18 years old or a pregnant family member at the time of application to qualify.

Through the 4Ps program, each family receive a health subsidy, with additional financial assistance that varies depending on the child’s educational status. Included families will also receive a monthly subsidy of P600.

The DSWD reported that there are currently 4 million Filipino households registered as beneficiaries of the 4Ps program.

Other financial subsidy programs of the DSWD include the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations, which provides medical assistance, burial, transportation, education, food, or financial aid for families, and the Ayuda sa Kapos Ang Kita Program (AKAP), which provides financial assistance to Filipino workers with low income.

The 4Ps and similar programs had been criticized by some sectors as promoting mendicancy among Filipinos.

Although the Senate initially removed the AKAP allocation from the proposed 2025 budget, it was reinstated by the bicameral committee during the budget reconciliation process.

The Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) is the Philippine government’s flagship poverty alleviation initiative, managed by the DSWD.

Established in 2008 and codified in 2019, 4Ps provides conditional cash transfers to impoverished households to improve health, nutrition, and education, particularly for children aged 0-18.

Beneficiaries receive financial assistance contingent upon fulfilling specific requirements, such as ensuring children attend school and receive regular health check-ups, and pregnant women access prenatal and postnatal care.

As of 2024, the program has expanded to include pregnant and lactating women, aiming to enhance child health during critical early development stages.

The 2024 National Expenditure Program allocated P112.8 billion to 4Ps, reflecting a P10.23 billion increase from the previous year.