By Lane Afable, News Editor
The House of Representatives on Tuesday approved on third and final reading a measure strengthening and expanding the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) by increasing support for poor families while creating clearer pathways for education, livelihood and eventual graduation from the program.
House Bill (HB) No. 8647, which was passed on a 224-3-0 vote, keeps the original purpose of 4Ps while making it more responsive to the daily realities of families who need help not only to survive, but to eventually stand on their own.
The bill expands the policy goals of the 4Ps law by adding socio-economic resilience, adult education through the Alternative Learning System, entrepreneurship training, livelihood support and a transition program for graduating beneficiaries.
It strengthens case management by requiring the Department of Social Welfare and Development to use community-level data, household profiling, validation and local planning to connect beneficiaries with the right services.
The measure also recognizes the importance of the first 1,000 days of a child’s life by providing targeted support from conception until the child’s second birthday, when health, nutrition and early development are most critical.
It sets the health and nutrition grant at not less than P750 per month for a maximum of 12 months per year, while pregnant women and children under two years old will receive at least P850 per month for the same period.
The bill also provides a P1,000 grant to support early child development and the health and nutrition needs of pregnant and postpartum mothers, infants and young children.
It further sets the rice subsidy at not less than P1,500 per month for a maximum of 12 months per year.
In a statement, House Majority Leader and Ilocos Norte Rep. Ferdinand Alexander “Sandro” Marcos said the 4Ps should help families through the hardest years, but it should also give them a real bridge toward better income, better education and better choices for their children.
“That is the direction President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. wants for social protection, and under Speaker Bojie Dy, the House is making sure support reaches families in a way that is practical, humane and built for the long term,” he said.
“The goal is not to keep families dependent on aid forever. The better goal is to help them get through the present, then open doors to schooling, skills, jobs and livelihood so they can eventually leave the program with dignity,” Marcos added.
Under the measure, at least one adult beneficiary is required to join and complete a chosen track in adult education, entrepreneurship, technical-vocational training or other similar pathways toward employment or livelihood.
It also creates a transition program for households scheduled to graduate from 4Ps, ensuring they are not abruptly cut off from support without access to skills training, employment facilitation, financial literacy, microenterprise help or referral services.
The measure likewise mandates coverage of qualified beneficiaries under the National Health Insurance Program, with premium subsidies shouldered by the national government under the Universal Health Care Act.
It establishes a database of existing and graduated beneficiaries and requires local governments to include them in local social protection, development and poverty reduction plans.
The bill penalizes fraud and misuse of benefits, including giving false information, inserting unqualified beneficiaries, using grants for unlawful purposes and withdrawing benefits through another person’s transaction card under false grounds.
