DSWD’s 4Ps program to get P112.8B, up by P10.23B in the proposed 2024 national budget

A total of P112.8 billion in the 2024 National Expenditure Program (NEP) will be allocated for the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) which is targeted to assist 4.4 million eligible households.

Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman highlighted that the amount is an increase of P10.23 billion relative to the P102.61 billion budget set in the 2023 General Appropriations Act (GAA).

Secretary Pangandaman outlined the proposed allocation, which includes a significant P103.161 billion in various cash grants, such as P750 per month for health subsidies catering to 4.4 million households, educational subsidies ranging from P300-700 per month for over 7 million students, and P600 per month as rice subsidies for 4.4 million households.

“The recommended budget for Fiscal Year 2024 shows an increase of P3.725 billion when compared with the actual utilization of P109.111 billion in Fiscal Year 2022. The rise is due to the increased number of students, moving from 1.493 million senior high school (SHS) students in FY 2023 to an anticipated 1.628 million SHS students in FY 2024, who will be provided with an educational allowance,” stated Secretary Pangandaman.

In his Budget Message, President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., recognized the ongoing struggle of many citizens, particularly the most vulnerable, with the persistent, harsh effects of the pandemic, despite the World Health Organization lifting the global emergency status for COVID-19 on May 5, 2023.

“To address this, I have approved the NEDA’s recommendation for the Social Protection Floor (SPF) framework which aims to institutionalize the existing social protection programs, such as the universal healthcare and feeding programs and the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) Program, which holds a crucial role in the government’s comprehensive strategy to alleviate poverty and promote social development,” the President said.

Human development program

The 4Ps is a human development program that provides conditional cash grants to the poorest of the poor families to improve the health, nutrition, and education of children aged 0-18.

Beneficiaries are identified through the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTS-PR).

Republic Act (RA) 11315, enacted in April 2019, provides the adoption of a Community-Based Monitoring System (CBMS) that generates updated data necessary for targeting beneficiaries, more comprehensive poverty analysis, and interventions and monitoring impact over time.