DSWD Chief Brings Good News To 4Ps Beneficiaries On 5th Year Of Program’s Institutionalization

Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian brought good news to beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) as he led the kick-off for the week-long celebration of the 4Ps’ Fifth anniversary of the program’s institutionalization.

Secretary Gatchalian on Tuesday (June 25) announced that President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr has green lighted two additional enhancements for the 4Ps that will protect the beneficiaries from inflation and mitigate malnutrition and stunting.

“One, inflation proofing—the grants, hindi na sya mapag-iiwanan ng inflation. It will protect its value for the value of our end-users. Two, using 4Ps to combat stunting and malnutrition by introducing another distinct grant that will target pregnant and nursing women and children all the way to 2 years old,” the DSWD Secretary said in his speech at the DSWD Central Office’s New Lobby where the 4Ps photo exhibit was held.

The DSWD recently announced the proposed “First 1000-day grant” that will provide additional cash grants for beneficiaries who are pregnant and nursing mothers to further improve the health and nutrition of their children during the critical first 1,000 days.

With a theme “5ingko: Kwento at Larawan ng Pangarap, Pagtataya, Pagbabago, at Pagtataguyod ng Pamilyang Pilipino,” the 4Ps celebration emphasizes the program’s impact on the lives of its beneficiaries and the role of stakeholders in supporting its objectives.

Secretary Gatchalian congratulated the 4Ps National Program Management Office (NPMO) for continuously enhancing and evolving the program.

One of the innovations for the 4Ps is to migrate the program from the traditional banking system into a culture of digital financial literacy.

“We are doing roadshows region by region, province by province, and making sure we are bringing more people inside the digital financial literacy world,” the DSWD chief pointed out.

Secretary Gatchalian said: “Today is about the tribute to the people who run the program, kayo ‘yun. I would like to take the opportunity to thank all of you for bearing with the pressures of the program—the housekeeping part and innovation part.”

One of the highlights of the kick-off celebration was the Pantawid Pamilya Memory Lane: Limang Mukha ng Pantawid Pamilya, a photo gallery exhibit that showcased the program’s evolution—its triumphs and challenges—alongside success stories of beneficiaries.

The DSWD also celebrates the 16th founding anniversary of 4Ps since the inception of the program in 2007.

Launched in 2008 and institutionalized in 2019 through Republic Act No. 11310, the 4Ps is the national poverty reduction strategy and human capital investment program that provides conditional cash transfer to poor households, for a maximum period of seven years, to improve the health, nutrition, and education aspects of their children.