President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Tuesday approved the proposal to expand the coverage of the government‘s conditional cash grants to the poorest and vulnerable sectors, by including pregnant and lactating women to ensure the health of children in their first 1,000 days.

During a sectoral meeting at the Malacañan Palace, Marcos approved the proposal of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) for the grant of cash assistance to pregnant and lactating women under the agency’s Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).

“On the first 1,000 days of a child’s life, bring the mother, the family into the system. That’s really good,” Marcos said, as quoted in a Presidential Communications Office (PCO) news release.

The President directed the DSWD and the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) to draw up the final numbers and forward them to the Office of the President so the necessary adjustments could be done.

Under the current program, a 4Ps beneficiary-family receives a daycare and elementary grant of PHP300 per child per month for 10 months, conditional on their child’s school attendance; PHP500 per child per month for 10 months for junior high school with the same conditionality on their child’s school attendance and PHP700 per child per month for 10 months for senior high school with the same condition; and PHP750 per month per household for 12 months provided that their children aged 2-14 years old undergo growth development and monitoring; deworming and attend family development sessions.

Marcos previously ordered a study on the adjustments in the 4Ps cash grants to address health gaps in the system and help beneficiaries keep up with inflation. (PNA)