DSWD guarantees 4Ps continuity, full funding in 2026

By Mariela Angella Oladive

Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian has assured beneficiaries that the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) will continue with full funding in 2026.

During a community visit in Janiuay, Iloilo on Sept. 17, Gatchalian said concerns over the possible abolition of the program were the result of miscommunication.

He emphasized that the national government and Congress are committed to strengthening—not discontinuing—the 4Ps.

“The 4Ps will continue, and in fact, it has already been allocated a full budget for 2026,” he said.

Gatchalian also said that households graduating from the program will be supported with aftercare measures to ensure a smooth transition.

Western Visayas currently has more than 150,000 active 4Ps beneficiaries, according to the DSWD.

The reassurance follows recent congressional discussions about potential misuse of program benefits.

In August, Senator Erwin Tulfo suggested reviewing and possibly phasing out the program in favor of livelihood support initiatives, citing concerns raised during his term as DSWD secretary in 2022.

Launched in 2008 and institutionalized in 2019 under Republic Act No. 11310, the 4Ps is the government’s flagship anti-poverty and human capital investment program.

It offers conditional cash grants to poor households for up to seven years, aiming to improve health, nutrition, and education outcomes.

Gatchalian also affirmed the administration’s continued support for other social protection programs like the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) and the Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan–Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (KALAHI-CIDSS).