MANILA – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) announced Thursday that over 650,000 households reinstated in the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) have successfully received their education grants through the Land Bank of the Philippines. This distribution follows a comprehensive reassessment using the Social Welfare and Development Indicators (SWDI).
Gemma Gabuya, the National Program Manager and Director of 4Ps, emphasized the importance of these grants for the reinstated families. “We acknowledge that these grants are vital for the reinstated families, and we are committed to ensuring that these funds reach them promptly,” she stated in a news release.
The retroactive payments for the 10-month education grants for 2023 have already been credited to beneficiaries’ accounts. Additionally, the DSWD reported that delayed health grants and rice subsidies for these households will be distributed between December 2023 and June 2024.
On August 17, another batch of over 120,000 reinstated households is expected to receive their retroactive payments, including education grants, health grants, and rice subsidies.
Under the 4Ps program, households benefit from various financial support measures. Each household receives PHP750 monthly for health and nutrition, PHP600 for rice subsidies, and education grants of PHP300 per month for elementary students, PHP500 for junior high school students, and PHP700 for senior high school students.
The recent reinstatement of more than 700,000 households into the 4Ps program came after many beneficiaries appealed for reconsideration following the release of Listahanan 3 in 2022. Gabuya explained that the SWDI assessment revealed that these households, initially classified as non-poor, still require assistance to achieve self-sufficiency.
“Many of these families faced setbacks due to the pandemic, which halted their progress towards improved well-being,” Gabuya noted. “Thus, we reinstated them to ensure they receive the necessary support.”
The SWDI assessment serves as a critical tool for determining household eligibility in the 4Ps program, operationalized through a memorandum issued by the DSWD earlier this year. This assessment categorizes households into three levels: survival, subsistence, and self-sufficiency, allowing for tailored interventions to help families achieve greater stability.
Launched in 2008 and formalized in 2019 through Republic Act 11310, the 4Ps program aims to support 4.4 million households by providing cash grants that facilitate their children’s completion of elementary and senior high school, alongside essential health and nutrition support.
