(Eagle News)–The Department of Social Welfare and Development on Thursday, May 9, said it was pushing for adjustments to 4Ps grants amid inflationary pressures.
“I would like to reiterate what DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian said that adjusting the cash grants of 4Ps beneficiaries is not just timely but that it also preserves the value of the grants,” Asst. Secretary for Disaster Response Management Group (DRMG) Irene Dumlao said.
Dumlao, who is also the DSWD spokesperson, said part of President Bongbong Marcos’ directive was for the agency, the National Economic Development Authority and the Philippine Statistics Authority to come up with a proposal to ensure that the cash grants are “responsive to present socio-economic conditions and automatically adjusted even without legislation.”
She said the three government institutions were working together to find the best index to use for the adjustment.
The PSA has reported that the country’s inflation rate accelerated to 3.8 percent in April from 3.7 percent in March.
The 4Ps or Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program is the government’s national poverty reduction strategy and human capital investment program.
It so far caters to 4.4 million household-beneficiaries nationwide.
Under the program, beneficiaries receive their cash grants if they comply with certain conditions like sending their children to school, bringing them to health centers for check-up, and attending monthly Family Development Sessions (FDS).
The cash grants provided under the 4Ps Act for a maximum of 10 months a year include P300 a month for each child enrolled in daycare or elementary school; P500 a month for each child enrolled in junior high school and P700 a month for each child enrolled in senior high school.
Beneficiary-households also receive P750 a month in health and nutrition grants, as well as rice assistance worth P650 monthly.