By Brian Jules Campued
Some 65% or 482,000 of the beneficiaries who have graduated from the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) of the national government were due to self-sufficiency, according to Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian.
Gatchalian, in a Malacañang press briefing on Tuesday, revealed that over 700,000 of the 4.4 million 4Ps beneficiaries have already graduated as of February – 34% of which or about 482,000 individuals graduated because of natural attrition.
“The amount of graduates from 4Ps program as of this date, February 2024 is close to around 700,000 of the 4.4 (million who) have graduated kasama na diyan ‘yung gumanda ‘yung antas ng pamumuhay, ‘yung mga umaabot na sa seven-year-mark, pero mayorya dun sa 700,000 mga 65%, upon evaluation of our social workers, ay nakita nilang self-sufficient na,” he added.
While some were already considered self-sufficient, the DSWD chief clarified that beneficiaries who graduated will continue to receive government aid from other poverty alleviation programs including the newly-created Ayuda para sa Kapos ang Kita Program (AKAP).
“Hindi ibig sabihin pwede na naming bitawan kaya nga nandiyan ‘yung – ‘yan ang next mechanism for them na kung bigla na naman bumalik ng dangers sa vulnerability programs like AKAP can help them from spiraling down back to poverty,” he said.
Meanwhile, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. also directed the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) and other agencies to immediately conduct a census through the Community-Based Monitoring System (CBMS) to update the list of 4Ps beneficiaries from its 2019 Listahanan.
PSA Head Undersecretary Claire Dennis Mapa assured President Marcos that the census will commence once the agency’s budget is released by the Department of Budget and Management.
“The major highlight is the President reemphasized so many times that the CBMS ay dapat gawin na at sabi naman ng NEDA at DBM the funds are being processed, [once] released, they can conduct that,” Gatchalian shared.
The PSA is mandated under Republic Act No. 11315 or the CMBS Act to collect statistical and geospatial information at the local level to be used in targeting households for government interventions to alleviate poverty and develop the economy.
Gatchalian likewise suggested that other agencies implementing their own anti-poverty programs can also use the CBMS as it reflects statistical data down to the individual.
“It’s a very effective tool, kasi granular siya, nakapa-micro ng kanyang sinusukat at dahil LGU-driven ito, together with the PSA, puwede n’yong i-update nang mas mabilis. Kasi alam mo ‘yung lugar,” he stated. – avds
