More than 1 million beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) will no longer receive assistance after the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) found out that “they have escaped poverty.”
This was shared by Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles, Tuesday, after her third meeting with her Cabinet.
“Of note is Sec. Erwin Tulfo’s declaration that in the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino program at least 1.3 million beneficiaries out of 4.4 are no longer considered ‘poor’ as a qualification for the 4Ps benefits,” Angeles said in a statement earlier.
“This frees up P15B for other qualified persons to replace them and now be included in the said program.”
The news came even though the number of unemployed in the Philippines swelled to 3 million in May (6% unemployment rate). That’s higher than the 2.76 million unemployed in April (5.7% unemployment rate).
DSWD removes 1.3 million people from 4Ps list
Angeles disclosed the statement after Social Welfare Secretary Erwin Tulfo said that their department is ready to provide a P1,000 cash reward for those who sue or provide information to families who do not qualify but continue to benefit from 4Ps.
4Ps is a government human development measure that provides “conditional cash grants” to the “poorest of the poor” to improve the health, nutrition and education of children ages 0 to 18-years-old.
Progressive groups have previously criticized the idea of conditional cash transfers as “dole outs” or “alms,” while pushing to create more livelihoods for the poor simply.
“The Department of Education discussed their Priority Programs and Projects for Basic Education while the Department of Social Welfare and Development presented their own Programs and Progects for Social Welfare,” Angeles said.
It was only in May that Tulfo said that he would resign from his position in the DSWD within six months to a year if aid to the victims of the disaster was not provided quickly.
Beneficiaries of 4Ps receive conditional grants, such as P6000 annually, or P500 per household, for health and nutrition costs, and P3000 for one academic year, or ten months, or P300 per child, for educational expenses. There can only be three kids per household.
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