DSWD: 4Ps cash grants to be adjusted for inflation

Beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) lineup at money dispensing kiosk in Tondo Manila without practicing the social distancing amid the spread of Covid-19 on Tuesday, March 24, 2020. The 4Ps is a national poverty reduction strategy of the national government. It invests in the health, nutrition, and education of poor households for improved well-being. DANNY PATA

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said on Saturday that it plans to adjust the cash grants under the government’s conditional cash transfer program, taking into consideration the impact of inflation.

The DSWD said the adjustments to the cash grants under the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) would be based on the parameters to be determined by the National Economic and Development Authority and the Philippine Institute for Development Studies.

“Magkakaroon ng adjustments doon sa cash grants na pag-uusapan na lang po ng mga member agencies ng NAC (National Advisory Committee), na hindi na kinakailangan dumaan sa Kongreso to amend the law,” said DSWD spokesperson Irene Dumlao in an interview on Super Radyo dzBB.

(There would be adjustments to the cash grants that are being discussed now by the member agencies of the NAC. This would mean that there is no need for Congress to amend the law.)

“Yung mga magiging actions natin in making the adjustments are based on relevant, reliable, and timely policy research,” she added.

(Our possible actions in making the adjustments are based on relevant, reliable, and timely policy research.)

Prices of consumer goods and services in the Philippines rose for the fourth straight month in May, settling at 3.9%, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority. This brought the year-to-date inflation rate to 3.5%, still within the government’s target range of 2% to 4%.

The 4Ps provides cash grants to household beneficiaries provided that they meet some conditions, including enrolling the children in school, immunizing kids aged 0–5 years old, and among others.

The cash grants are computed according to compliance with these conditions and are released every two months. The cash grants are as follows: P750 for the health grant, P300 per child in elementary school, P500 per child in junior high school, P700 per child in senior high school, and a rice subsidy of P600.

“Over the years, na devalue yung halaga na tinatanggap ng ating 4Ps beneficiaries,” said Dumlao.

(Over the years, the amount being received by our 4Ps beneficiaries has been devalued.)

“Ibig sabihin dapat magagamit pa rin nila yung halaga sa mga pangangailangan nila kahit pa mag-increase yung presyo ng mga bilihin over the years, magkaroon man ng inflation, maapektuhan man ng economic challenges yung programa,” she added.

(We would want them to be able to maximize the amount for their needs despite inflation and other economic challenges.)

When asked about the target date for the implementation of adjusted cash grants, the DSWD official said that officials are now fast-tracking the discussions on it.

The program currently has an allocated funding of P106.335 billion under the 2024 General Appropriations Act, which would benefit over 4.4 million households nationwide. —VBL, GMA Integrated News

This article DSWD: 4Ps cash grants to be adjusted for inflation was originally published in GMA News Online.