MALACAÑANG has increased the budget for the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) by P7.9 billion to P114.2 billion under the proposed P6.352 trillion national budget for 2025.
“The adjustment will allow the government to enroll more qualified poor families in the program,” said Rep. Michael Romero (PL, 1-Pacman), chairperson of the House Committee on Poverty Alleviation.
The 4Ps budget in this year’s national budget is P106.3 billion.
Romero noted that there are currently an estimated 4.4 million families receiving monthly cash grants under 4Ps.
“We hope that more families would be covered because 4Ps is really an effective poverty alleviation program as evidenced by the number of children from 4Ps households who have been assisted and who have finished college and are now working and helping their parents and siblings,” Romero said.
He cited DSWD data showing that 32,556 children from 4Ps families have finished their college education since 2016 up to April 30 this year.
Of that number, 82 graduated magna cum laude and 1,135 had cum laude honors.
“These numbers show that aside from being an effective poverty reduction program, 4Ps is also a potent human development tool. The funds the President and Congress allocate each year for the program are a wise investment in human capital,” he said.
Romero said the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) also included in the 2025 National Expenditure Program (NEP) the amount of P49.8 billion for the P1,000 monthly stipend of some 4.6 million qualified poor senior citizens as identified by the DSWD.
Funds for the 4Ps and the monthly allowance of senior citizens are part of the proposed P226.7 billion DSWD budget for next year.
Meanwhile, Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman yesterday justified that the P4.56 billion confidential and intelligence funds (CIF) requested by the Office of the President (OP) is necessary so President Marcos Jr. can effectively ensure national security and carry out the government’s foreign policy.
“He is the President, commander-in-chief and the overall architect of national security and foreign policy in the Philippines. These roles require substantial resources to ensure the President can make informed decisions and effectively lead the nation,” Pangandaman said in a statement.
She said that the CIF requested by the President in the proposed 2025 national budget is “essential for addressing urgent security challenges, conducting critical intelligence operations and implementing policies that protect our nation’s interests.”
She also stressed that the funds are crucial so the President can engage in high-level decision-making, manage crises and ensure that the Philippines remains secure and resilient against internal and external threats.
“Without these funds, the President’s ability to perform these duties effectively would be significantly hampered,” Pangandaman said.
She also said that the OP’s CIF has been consistent at P4.56 billion since 2022 which, she underscored, “reflects the ongoing need to support the President’s mandate in overseeing national security and foreign policy.”
Rep. Raoul Manuel has questioned the budget request of the OP for confidential and intelligence funds, pointing out that it is bigger than the budgets of intelligence agencies like the NICA and the National Security Council (NSC).
NICA has a proposed budget of P2.242 billion, with P991.2 million allotted for its CIF, while the NSC has requested P896.9 million for its spending expenses next year, of which P250 million is for its confidential and intelligence funds.
The CIF in the 2025 NEP has decreased by 16 percent compared to the 2024 General Appropriations Act. — With Angela Celis
