Libanan: DSWD cash grants to give meaningful relief to reassessed 4Ps families 

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House Minority Leader Rep. Marcelino Libanan spoke highly of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) after its decision to grant cash aid to reassessed households under the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).

The cash aid to be distributed will include the withheld subsidies of the reassessed families from January to September of this year.

“We are grateful to DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian for allowing the 761,140 reassessed household-beneficiaries to retroactively enjoy their much-needed cash grants starting November 30,” Libanan said in a statement on Sunday, Nov. 19.

“In a recent consultative meeting between House minority members and Secretary Gatchalian, we had requested the resumption of the subsidies once the review of the conditions of the beneficiaries is completed,” he noted.

“Right now, many poor families are getting distressed by soaring food prices. They have very little means to survive, and keeping them under the 4Ps will provide them meaningful relief,” the 4Ps party-list solon stressed.

A total of 1,158,249 households previously identified as “non-poor” underwent a DSWD reassessment using social welfare and development indicators.

After the reassessment, a total of 761,140 households were found to be at “subsistence” or “survival” level.

Meanwhile, 339,660 households were found to be at a “self-sufficient” level. These families will undergo the 4Ps graduation process.

Starting on Nov. 30 and in February 2024, the 761,140 reassessed families are expected to receive their withheld health and education grants.

This will also make them eligible to receive rice subsidies.

According to the Official Gazette, the health grant is P500 per household every month, or a total of P6,000 every year.

On the other hand, the education grant is P300 per child every month for ten months, or a total of P3,000 every year. A household may only register a maximum of three children for this program.

Libanan, the leader of the 23-member minority bloc in the House of Representatives, said the government is spending P112.8 billion in 2024 to cover the 4Ps education and health grants as well as rice subsidies of 4.4 million households. –Dexter Barro II