MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) plans to include 1,184,768 households in the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), the agency’s flagship antipoverty initiative, a spokesperson announced on Sunday.
DSWD spokesperson Irene Dumlao revealed that over 400,000 households have already qualified for the conditional cash transfer scheme. These 424,317 households are set to replace previous beneficiaries who recently exited the program during the “Pugay Tagumpay” ceremony.
“All these households were validated based on the required number to fill the slots left vacant,” Dumlao stated in a message to the Inquirer.
Poverty Threshold and Validation
Dumlao explained that the high number of validated households reflects the significant number of beneficiaries exiting due to improved well-being or natural attrition. Eligibility for the program requires households to fall at or below the poverty threshold of their respective provinces.
The DSWD employs a proxy means test to estimate household income, considering factors like family composition, education, and access to services. The poverty threshold for 2023, as reported by the Philippine Statistics Authority, was highest in Central Luzon (₱16,046 monthly), Metro Manila (₱15,713), and Calabarzon (₱15,457), and lowest in Soccsksargen (₱12,241).
Households must also have at least one member aged 0–18 years or a pregnant member at the time of registration. Validated households will replace exiting beneficiaries starting next year.
Program Benefits
Under the 4Ps, eligible households receive ₱750 monthly for health expenses, ₱300 per elementary-aged child, ₱500 per junior high school student, and ₱700 per senior high school student. A maximum of three children per household can qualify for education aid for up to 10 months annually. Compliant households also receive a monthly rice subsidy of ₱600.
Reassessment and Graduates
In July 2023, Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian ordered a reassessment of 4Ps beneficiaries classified as “nonpoor” under Listahanan 3. This reassessment reinstated over 700,000 beneficiaries previously removed from the list.
Since its launch in 2008 and institutionalization through Republic Act No. 11310 in 2019, 4Ps has aimed to reduce poverty and improve health, nutrition, and education among poor households. Beneficiaries can stay in the program for a maximum of seven years.
By February 2024, the DSWD reported that 700,000 out of 4.4 million beneficiaries had graduated, with 65% achieving self-sufficiency and 34% exiting due to natural attrition.
Graduation and Program Impact
Graduation from the program occurs when a household’s last monitored child turns 18 or finishes high school. Other exit scenarios include voluntary withdrawal, program violations, or reaching the self-sufficient level.
As of March 2024, the 4Ps program has served 6.4 million poor households nationwide, with 4.4 million still active in over 41,746 barangays across 148 cities and 1,485 municipalities in 82 provinces. By the end of 2024, the DSWD anticipates an additional 500,000 households will graduate from the program.
