The Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) is not just about providing cash grants; it also equips poor households with knowledge and skills to break the intergenerational cycle of poverty, an official said on Saturday.
“One of the things we want to emphasize here is that more than the conditional cash grants that they are receiving, what we are really trying to promote here is social behavioral change. Ibig sabihin, binibigyan natin sila ng pagkakataon na bigyang pagpapahalaga ang pag-aaral, ang edukasyon, kalusugan at gayundin ang mapasama sila sa mga isinasagawang activities tungo sa pagpapaunlad ng ating bansa like digitalization (We are giving them the opportunity to value education and health, as well as being part of nation-building activities like digitalization),” DSWD spokesperson Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao said in a radio interview.
She said one of the program’s key tools for behavioral transformation is the Family Development Sessions (FDS), monthly meetings where beneficiaries learn about responsible parenting, health and nutrition, disaster preparedness, and values formation, among others.
The sessions also cover financial literacy to help families budget wisely and invest in income-generating activities, as well as training on digital technology to improve access to online services and cashless transactions.
Under the 4Ps, household-beneficiaries receive conditional cash grants for education, health, and nutrition, provided they comply with program conditionalities, such as regular health check-ups, school attendance, and participation in the monthly FDS.
Seventeen years since its launch, the program has recorded more than 1.4 million household beneficiaries exiting after improving their level of well-being.
“Marami na tayong mga 4Ps beneficiaries na nakapagtapos at nakakaambag na sa pagpapaunlad ng ating lipunan. Sila ang nagpapatunay na puwede talagang umahon mula sa kahirapan (We already have a lot of 4Ps beneficiaries who graduated and are contributing to society. They are proof that one can really rise from poverty),” Dumlao said.
She also mentioned that about 1.3 million households are expected to exit the program next year after completing the seven-year participation period stated under Republic Act 11310 or the 4Ps Act.
However, the DSWD is working with lawmakers to amend the law so that program exit will be based on the actual socio-economic status of the household, not just a fixed time frame.
“Kaya tayo nakikipag-ugnayan sa mga partners natin sa lehislatura nang sa gayon ay maisulong itong pag-amyenda sa batas. Maging needs-based sana yung approach, nang sa gayon talagang makatiyak tayo na naging responsive yung programa sa pangangailangan ng ating mga beneficiaries at ma-attain yung objective ng programa (We are coordinating with our partners in the legislature to promote amendments to the law. We hope for a needs-based approach to ensure that the law would be responsive to the needs of the beneficiaries and attain its objectives), which is to help alleviate poverty among our poor households,” Dumlao said. (PNA)
