4Ps payout to resume November 30

THE Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) confirmed on Wednesday that the disbursement of cash grants to 761,140 Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) recipients will resume on November 30.

DSWD Assistant Secretary Romel Lopez said that in addition to cash grants, eligible beneficiaries will get rice subsidies.

«The Department will resume the payout for the withheld health grants from January 2023 to September 2023, starting on November 30, and it will be non-compliance-based, while the education grants for the same period shall be based on the compliance of the beneficiaries and will be processed starting February 2024,» Lopez said.

The DSWD suspended cash grants following the revalidation by the 4Ps National Project Management Office (NPMO) to identify household beneficiaries that are no longer poor or non-poor.

The NPMO completed the assessment of the 1,158,249 households previously categorized as non-poor using the Social Welfare and Development Indicators.

Based on the evaluation, 4,242 families were classified as Level 1 or Survival Level, 756,898 were in Level 2 or Subsistence Level, and 339,660 were in Level 3 or Self-Sufficient.

«The reassessed households belonging to Levels 1 and 2 have been retained in the list of beneficiaries, while those in Level 3 will undergo the exit process,» Lopez said.

The retroactive distribution of the cash aid is covered by a signed memorandum by Secretary Rexlon «Rex» Gatchalian.

The 4Ps program offers social protection, assistance, social development, and other complementary support services aimed at improving the health and nutrition, education, and socioeconomic aspects of underprivileged Filipino households.