THE Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has delisted 1.3 million families from the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), freeing P15 billion in financial assistance that could be given to indigent households.
Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles said this was the highlight of the report of Social Welfare Secretary Erwin Tulfo during the Cabinet meeting convened by President Marcos Jr. yesterday.
Citing Tulfo’s report to the President, Angeles said the 1.3 million families were considered to have already “graduated” from being poor, thus, no longer qualified to get government subsidy.
The delisting of the families “frees up P15B for other qualified persons to replace them and now be included in the said program,” Angeles quoted Tulfo as saying.
The DSWD has been “cleansing” the 4Ps list to verify if the 4.4 million families covered by the program are all qualified. The review showed that the affected 1.3 million households were no longer considered as poor, which is a qualification for the 4Ps benefits.
Tulfo has said that families who are now able to generate a bigger income or have established their own small businesses, like sari-sari stores, are no longer considered indigents.
Likewise, he said families whose children have already graduated from elementary or secondary schools are also no longer qualified to get the subsidy.
Aside from the 1.3 million families, Tulfo said 600,000 more households are being verified if they are still qualified.
Aside from the DSWD, Angeles said the Department of Education also reported about its priority programs and projects for basic education.
She, however, said she could not disclose the details pending continuing discussions on the issue.
After the Cabinet meeting, the President administered the oath of office to Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Ma. Antonia ‘Toni’ Yulo-Loyzaga at the Study Room in Malacañang.
Prior to joining the Marcos Cabinet, Yulo-Loyzaga served as chairperson of the International Advisory Board of the Manila Observatory where she advocated for more scientific research on climate and disaster resilience.
She was a former executive director of the Manila Observatory and technical adviser of the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation.
