Beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) should only leave the program once they have truly “graduated” from poverty, not simply because they’ve reached the seven-year limit, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said.
Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao, in an interview during the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon briefing on Friday, said the agency is studying possible amendments to Republic Act No. 11310, or the 4Ps law, to make it more responsive after 17 years of implementation.
Currently, the law allows beneficiaries to stay in the program for a maximum of seven years. After that, they are automatically removed regardless of their actual economic status.
Dumlao noted that over 1.3 million families are expected to “graduate” from the program next year. She emphasized that the agency prefers a need-based approach.
“Families should exit the program not because they’ve reached seven years, but because they’ve achieved self-sufficiency,” Dumlao said.
Under the proposed amendment, the DSWD will offer an “Aftercare Program” for graduating beneficiaries, which will include toolkits, training, livelihood assistance, and skills development.
She added that financial literacy, responsible resource management, and family development are already part of the current 4Ps provisions to prepare families for graduation.
“We don’t want families to return to poverty after they exit. That would waste years of investment,” she stressed.