THE Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) would need around P2.6 billion to P2.7 billion yearly to cover the P350 per month additional benefits for Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4PS) households with pregnant or lactating mothers or children aged zero to two years old.
DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian, during the Kapihan sa Manila Prince forum, said the additional monthly aid covers the “First 1000-day grant” included in the 4Ps benefits for pregnant and nursing mothers to improve the health and nutrition of their children during their critical first 1,000 days.
Gatchalian said there is an estimated 650,000 pregnant and lactating women beneficiaries at present.
“First time na may bagong grant na i-introduce sa ating 4Ps. At natutuwa kami na ito ay a step toward the right direction (It’s the first time that a new grant is introduced in the 4Ps.
And we are happy that this is a step toward the right direction),” he said.
He said the additional fund is already included in the proposed budget of the DSWD for 2025.
Gatchalian reiterated that the first 1000 days of a newborn is important to promote a child’s health and prevent malnutrition and stunting.
Aside from the new grant, the Marcos government is also asking for an increase in the current monthly grants under 4Ps for health, nutrition and education, such as for health and nutrition from P750 to P850. The rice subsidy would remain at P600.
For the education grant, the government is asking P350 per month, from the current P300, for those with a child in daycare; P600 from P500 for those with a child in junior high school; and P800 (from P700) for those with a child in senior high school.
Gatchalian said the DSWD is also reengineering its system to automate and streamline the process of cash grant payouts of 4Ps beneficiaries.
He added they will start the process of migrating the more than 4.4 million beneficiaries to an online payment system and tap e-wallet providers such as GCash and PayMaya to distribute the 4Ps cash aid.
He said using e-wallets is more convenient and less costly especially for families who had to travel sometimes for hours just to receive their cash grant.
Meanwhile, Gatchalian said the country is on track in its efforts of reducing the poverty level to a single digit by 2028.
He said that from the 18 percent poverty level when the Marcos administration started, it is now down to the pre-pandemic level of around 15 percent.
“We’re on track to hit that goal and by 2028, single digit na ang poverty incident natin (We’re on track to hit that goal and by 2028, our poverty incident will be a single digit),” he said.
Gatchalian said the DSWD has several programs to improve the lives of the marginalized sector such as the Supplemental Livelihood Program, the Food stamp Program, and the Oplan Pag-Abot Program, among others.
