The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has allocated a P106.335-billion budget to the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), expected to benefit more than four million households.
A statement issued by the DBM revealed that the amount has been allocated to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) under the 2024 General Appropriations Act (GAA).
This year’s budget for the 4Ps program—institutionalized by Republic Act (RA) 11310—is higher by P3.725 billion compared to the 2023 budget of P102.610 billion under the 2023 GAA.
Under the law, each household may receive P1,400 every month or a total of P16,800 every year with a maximum period of seven years. The appropriated fund shall be used to support the poverty reduction and social development strategy of the national government.
The amount includes cash grants, rice subsidies, “enhanced support services intervention” (ESSI) grants, incremental operating costs and personnel services.
An estimated 4.4 million households will receive subsidies amounting to P750 as health subsidies per month and P600 per month as rice subsidies, the DBM said. Over 7 million students will receive educational subsidies ranging from P300 to P700 per month, it added.
“This significant funding will greatly benefit millions of our kababayans who are in dire need,” Budget Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman was quoted in the statement as saying.
The beneficiaries are selected by the DSWD through the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTS-PR) to ensure the identification of poor households, according to the 4Ps law.
Farmers, fishermen, homeless families, indigenous people, informal settlers, persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups shall also be automatically included in the standardized targeting system, the law stated.
The DSWD is also mandated to conduct a regular revalidation of beneficiary targeting every three years.
Through an authorized government depository bank (AGDB), beneficiaries may secure access to cash grants as provided by the DSWD.
Beneficiaries may also access the cash grants through rural banks, thrift banks, cooperative banks and Financial Service Providers (FSPs), including institutions engaged in money remittances, registered with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).
Earlier, Ako Bicol Party list Rep. Raul Angelo D. Bongalon revealed that nearly 900,000 households, equivalent to 4.3 million Filipinos, did not receive cash grants amounting to P13 billion from the 4Ps program last year (See: https://businessmirror.com.ph/2024/02/20/aid-war-bongalon-blames-sen-imee-for-p13-billion-4ps-fund-fiasco-in-23/).
Bongalon blamed Senator Imee Marcos for redirecting these funds to the “Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations” program of the DSWD.
The House of Representatives is set to investigate the slashing of the budget to assess its impact on the program and the actual number of affected Filipinos and households (See: https://businessmirror.com.ph/2024/02/22/house-sets-investigation-into-impact-of-sen-imees-4ps-fund-realignment/).