By Brian Campued
A total of 434,317 households have been assessed to replace beneficiaries who had graduated from the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) announced.
In a news release Sunday, DSWD spokesperson Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao said the waitlisted households were validated last Oct. 31.
According to the program’s criteria, a household must be classified as poor or near-poor and have 0-18-year-old and/or pregnant family members.
If validated, they will replace the graduated families from the program or those who no longer have eligible children for grants.
For a maximum of seven years, each registered household receives P750 per month for health needs, P300 per child in elementary school, P500 per child in junior high school, and P700 per child in senior high school.
A maximum of three children per household can qualify for the monthly grant for 10 months in a school year.
Households that are compliant with the requirements—such as regular health and nutrition checkups and class attendance—will also receive P600 rice subsidy monthly.
In July 2023, Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian ordered a reassessment of all 4Ps beneficiaries who were tagged as “non-poor” under the agency’s Listahanan 3—resulting in the reinstatement of over 700,000 beneficiaries.
Meanwhile, around 1,184,768 potential beneficiaries are awaiting validation for 4Ps eligibility.
In total, more than 4 million households are registered in the 4Ps.
-avds
