Qualified beneficiaries of the government’s flagship conditional cash transfer program have begun receiving doubled monthly subsidies aimed at boosting maternal and child nutrition, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) announced Tuesday.

Under a new administrative agency circular, the “First 1,000 Days” cash grant for the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) has increased to P750 from P350. The subsidy is designed to support vulnerable mothers and infants during the critical initial 1,000 days of life.

The initial rollout began 9 July, covering 5,536 newly qualified beneficiaries. The department expects the expanded financial package to reach more than 180,000 recipients nationwide this year.