The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is heeding the call of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. in his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA) to amend some provisions of Republic Act 11310, the law which institutionalized the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).
Speaking at the Post-SONA Discussions Session 3: Health and Social Welfare Protection on Tuesday in San Juan City, Secretary Rex Gatchalian said RA 11310 prescribes that 4Ps beneficiaries can stay under the program for a maximum of seven years.
However, he said factors such as the Covid-19 pandemic and the spikes in prices of commodities brought by inflation have greatly eroded the purchasing power of 4Ps beneficiaries and their capability to adapt to economic shocks.
“Kung dati-rati dapat naka-graduate na sila, ngayon hindi pa sila puwede grumaduate kasi kulang pa iyong panahon para talagang maiahon nila iyong kanilang mga sarili sa kahirapan (They should have graduated by now but they needed more time to really lift themselves up from poverty),” Gatchalian said.
“Next year, mayroong nagbabadya na halos dalawang milyon na pamilya na kahit na hindi pa maayos ang kanilang mga pamumuhay ay mapipilitang alisin sa programa dahil sa panukala ng batas na iyon. Pero, dahil sa panawagan ng ating Pangulo, hindi na nila kailangan mangamba dahil aamyendahan iyong batas sa tulong ng Kongreso at ng Senado para iyong mga hindi pa ready umalis sa programa, manatili muna (there are around 2 million families who will be removed from the program because of the provision of this law (RA 11310). But because of the call of our President, they don’t have to worry because the law will be amended with the help of the House of Representatives and the Senate so that they can stay).”
The DSWD chief reiterated that the seven-year limit should not be a basis for the beneficiaries to exit from the program, but should be based on the status of their living conditions.
“Sa ating Pangulo, yung kanyang mungkahi o yung kanyang statement na amyendahan ang batas, ay kinikilala ang bawat pamilya ng 4Ps na may sariling kwento. Hindi mo puwedeng ilagum sila lahat na, ‘Okay, seven years, alis na kayo — hindi ho ganoon ang ating Pangulo. Ang ating Pangulo malaki ang puso para sa ating mga kababayan, lalong lalo na sa ating mga kababayan na mahihirap (For our President, his suggestion or statement to amend the law recognizes that every 4Ps family has its own story. You cannot say ‘okay, after seven years, get out – that’s not our President. Our President has a big heart for our people, especially the poor),” Gatchalian said.
The 4Ps is the national poverty reduction strategy and human capital investment program that provides conditional cash transfer to improve the health, nutrition, and education of children aged 0-18.
More than 4.4 million households continue to benefit from the program. (PNA)