House Minority Leader Marcelino Libanan has urged Congress to expedite the passage of a bill increasing the cash grants for beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), citing the need to help poor families cope with rising living costs.
He said inflation has rendered the current grant amounts “too small to make a meaningful difference” for millions of households.
House Bill 120, co-authored by Libanan and 4Ps Rep. JC Abalos, proposes higher monthly grants: ₱500 for daycare and elementary pupils, ₱700 for junior high, and ₱900 for senior high students, plus an ₱1,800 health grant and a new ₱600 monthly food allowance.
The measure seeks to amend Republic Act 11310, which institutionalized the 4Ps in 2019.
The Marcos administration has earmarked ₱113 billion for the program under the 2026 national budget to cover cash assistance, rice subsidies, and health support for qualified beneficiaries. In his budget message, President Marcos Jr. said the 4Ps “remains the backbone of the country’s fight against poverty,” benefiting over five million households since his term began.
