Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian on Tuesday said that the DSWD is nearing the completion of its reassessment of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) beneficiaries.
In a press briefing in Malacañang, Gatchalian said that once the reassessment of the list of 4Ps beneficiaries has been completed, DSWD will start its disbursements to the newly approved beneficiaries.
DSWD’s 4Ps aimed to provide assistance to the marginalized sector by giving conditional cash grants to poor families.
Gatchalian said that the disbursement of this year’s payout has encountered delays due to the impact of COVID-19.
“We have a delay in the disbursement [of payout] this year, if we can remember, the basis of 4Ps is the “Listahan” and the last Listahan, Listahan III, was conducted during the period of 2019/202. These were the COVID years ng lockdown,” Gatchalian said.
During the pandemic, around 700,000 families were initially removed from the list due to reported improved conditions due to improved conditions but struggled once the lockdown affected the country’s economy.
Then, an additional 700,000 families were also left unassessed due to strict protocols implemented during the lockdown, which would sum up to 1.4 million families out of the 4.4 million households included in the program.
Due to these numbers, Gatchalian said that DSWD has decided to reassess the list of 4Ps beneficiaries to properly pick those who are in need.
“The decision of the department is to reassess. So, the reassessment is still ongoing and it would be completed by September to let choose the right beneficiaries for 4Ps,” he said.
The DSWD has received P151 billion for 2023 as part of its social protection programs, which includes the 4Ps cash assistance making up the biggest chunk of its fund.
Meanwhile, Gatchalian said that the DSWD’s Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) programs, which support individuals and families during crises and emergencies, has utilized around 40% to 50% of its budget as of July 2023.
“We are confident, there is a forecast that we can catch up or implement properly based on the semestral payouts of our other programs,” he said.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. recently instructed government agencies to speed up their funds’ utilization for social protection and workforce to further boost the country’s economy.