In a bid to improve the health, nutrition, and education of poor families, President Duterte has signed a law institutionalizing the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program or the government’s cash subsidy program.
Under Republic Act No. 11310, the Department of Social Welfare and Development will implement the 4Ps, a national poverty reduction strategy that provides conditional cash transfer to poor households, for a maximum of seven years.
“The State shall promote a just and dynamic social order, thereby uplifting its citizens and marginalized sectors from poverty through policies that provide adequate social services, promote full employment, a rising standard of living, and an improved quality of life for all,” the law said.
The law mandates the DSWD to use a standardized targeting system to identify, select, and revalidate qualified 4Ps beneficiaries every three years.
Eligible for the program are farmers, fisher folk, homeless families, indigenous peoples, those in the informal settler sector, and those in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas, including those in areas without electricity.
Under the law, the government will give a monthly cash grant of not lower than P300 per child enrolled in day care and elementary programs for 10 months of the year; P500 per child enrolled in junior high school; and P700 per child enrolled in senior high school.
A health and nutrition grant not lower than P750 per month for a maximum of 12 months per year all also be extended by the government to the 4Ps beneficiaries. It will be a fixed amount and does not depend on the number of family members.
“The health/nutrition grant component aims to promote health practices and family development, improve the health nutritional status of pregnant and postpartum mothers, infants, and young children, and increase the use of health services by the household-beneficiary,” the law read.
The families eligible cash grants must be classified as “poor and near poor,” have members aged zero to 18-years-old or members pregnant at time of registration, and willing to comply with the 4Ps conditions. (Genalyn Kabiling)
