The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) welcomed the issuance of the Executive Order (EO) signed by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. extending the maximum 7-year participation period for qualified beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) as the government reaffirms its commitment to support poor and vulnerable families on their path toward self-sufficiency.

Issued upon the recommendation of the 4Ps National Advisory Council (NAC), the Executive Order provides a mechanism for qualified 4Ps beneficiaries who have reached or are approaching the 7-year participation period to continue availing the Program, subject to the eligibility requirements, assessment mechanisms, and other provisions of the EO and existing DSWD policies.

DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian said the Department is fully prepared to implement the President’s directive while ensuring that the Program remains targeted, responsive, and evidence-based.

“The President’s Executive Order recognizes that some 4Ps household-beneficiaries continue to face exceptional circumstances that affect their journey toward self-sufficiency. The DSWD is committed to faithfully implement this policy while ensuring that continued participation is guided by objective assessments, strengthened case management, and appropriate interventions that respond to the needs of every family,” Secretary Gatchalian said on Saturday (July 18).

The DSWD emphasized that the EO does not provide automatic or permanent inclusion in the Program.

Continued participation in 4Ps shall remain subject to regular assessment of each family’s well-being, eligibility, and readiness for graduation, consistent with the provisions of the Executive Order and existing DSWD policies.

As part of the implementation of the EO, the Department will also roll out the enhanced Social Welfare and Development Indicator (SWDI), which will serve as the Program’s primary assessment tool in measuring the level of well-being of beneficiary families and identifying appropriate interventions.

Through the enhanced SWDI, the Program will generate updated information on the condition of beneficiary families, identify remaining needs, facilitate appropriate service referrals, monitor their progress, and determine their readiness to graduate from the Program.

“The enhanced SWDI will enable us to better understand the current condition of every beneficiary family, strengthen our case management interventions, and ensure that decisions on continued participation and graduation are guided by objective, reliable, and evidence-based information,” Secretary Gatchalian said.

The DSWD welcomed the issuance of the EO as a reaffirmation of the government’s commitment to ensuring that social protection remains responsive to the evolving needs of poor and vulnerable Filipino families while helping them achieve improved well-being, self-sufficiency, and eventual graduation from the Program.

The Department encourages beneficiaries and stakeholders to rely only on official announcements from the DSWD, the 4Ps National Program Management Office, DSWD Field Offices, and authorized Program representatives for updates regarding the implementation of the Executive Order. – Ana Dominique S. Pablo