Quezon City, Philippines – Household Beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), who have graduated from the program, have attained significant changes in their status and well-being upon graduation, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said. 

This, after a group of 4Ps beneficiaries, expressed their dismay at the delisting process and system implemented by the Department, saying that the assessment made has no basis and that some delisted families are still in need.  

Based on the Implementing Rules and Regulations of the 4Ps Law, 4Ps households who are assessed as non-poor are subject to graduation/exit from the program and should no longer receive conditional cash grants from the government. The Department uses a Proxy Means Test (PMT) to determine if a household is considered poor or not. The PMT is used to estimate household welfare levels based on income indicators such as materials in housing structure, household’s access to basic services and facilities like water and electricity, and ownership of specific assets, among others.

The DSWD further clarified that aside from the assessment done by the Listahanan, 4Ps households’ well-being is assessed using the Social Welfare and Development Indicators (SWDI) tool by the City/Municipal Links. 

With these mechanisms in place, the Department is confident that the 4Ps beneficiaries who are subject to graduation/exit from the Program, have gained a significant impact on their lives during their active membership.

Likewise, the DSWD assured the public that it has established systems and policies to ensure a smooth transition of the graduating household beneficiaries. This includes the 4Ps Kilos-Unlad Social Case Management Strategy, a critical intervention for the beneficiaries, particularly in improving their well-being prior to their graduation from the Program.

The Department added that sufficient social preparations through the Family Development Sessions were also given to the beneficiaries including giving them Financial Literacy Development Trainings. 

Furthermore, the Department continues to engage with the Local Government Units as they are expected to provide the necessary interventions and services to graduating 4Ps beneficiaries so they could sustain their level of well-being. 

Aside from providing cash grants, the 4Ps, as the national anti-poverty measure of the Philippine government, aims to improve the household beneficiaries’ behavior toward investing in their children’s health, nutrition, and education. 

The Department assured the beneficiaries that they are welcome to express their sentiments and that the policies are meant to make program implementation more efficient and effective for their benefit, being the primary partners in the transformation of the life of the households. ###