Marcos wants quick release of 4Ps, other DSWD cash aid

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PRESIDENT Marcos Jr. wants the programs of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) excluded from the unprogrammed appropriation next year to ensure the faster delivery of welfare programs and services to the people.

The President, during a meeting in Malacañang with DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian and economic managers, said funding for the agency’s different social assistance programs should be included in the programmed items in the annual budget to ensure their quick release.

The meeting was in relation to the review ordered by the President on the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA) vis-à-vis the National Expenditure Program (NEP) submitted by the Palace to Congress.

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“DSWD programs should no longer [be] in the unprogrammed appropriation next year,” Marcos said in a news release issued by the Presidential Communications Office (PCO).

“Dapat nandyan na (programmed) para mabilis mapakinabangan (It should be included in the programmed funds so it can be used immediately],” he said.

The DSWD has requested the release of an additional P41.8 billion from the Unprogrammed Appropriations (UA) to cover the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) grants for the period of August to December this year.

The agency’s budget for 2025 was reduced to P215.82 billion from its proposed budget of P226.67 billion, or a decrease of P10.85 billion.

Launched in 2008 and institutionalized under Republic Act (RA) 11310 in 2019, the 4Ps is the national poverty reduction strategy and human capital investment program that provides conditional cash transfer to poor households for a maximum period of seven years to improve their children’s health, nutrition and education.

A 4Ps beneficiary-family receives daycare and elementary grant of P300 per child per month for ten months, conditional on their child’s school attendance; P500 per child per month for ten months for junior high school with the same conditionality on their child’s school attendance; and P700 per child per month for ten months for senior high school with the same condition; and P750 per month per household for 12 months provided that their children aged 2-14 years old are subjected to growth development and monitoring, deworming and attend family development sessions.

There are more than 4.4 million 4Ps beneficiaries across the country at present.

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