Manila: The Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) is not just about providing cash grants; it also equips poor households with knowledge and skills to break the intergenerational cycle of poverty, an official said on Saturday.

According to Philippines News Agency, DSWD spokesperson Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao emphasized in a radio interview that the program aims to instill social behavioral change among participants. “One of the things we want to emphasize here is that more than the conditional cash grants they are receiving, what we are really trying to promote here is social behavioral change,” Dumlao stated. She highlighted the importance of valuing education, health, and involvement in nation-building activities like digitalization.

A key component of 4Ps is the Family Development Sessions (FDS), which are monthly meetings where beneficiaries learn about responsible parenting, health and nutrition, disaster preparedness, and values formation. These sessions also include financial literacy education to help families budget wisely and training in digital technology to improve access to online services and cashless transactions.

The 4Ps provides conditional cash grants for education, health, and nutrition to household-beneficiaries, contingent upon compliance with program requirements such as regular health check-ups, school attendance, and participation in FDS.

Seventeen years since its inception, more than 1.4 million households have exited the program after improving their level of well-being. Dumlao noted that many beneficiaries have graduated and are now contributing to society, demonstrating the possibility of overcoming poverty.

Dumlao also mentioned that about 1.3 million households are expected to exit the program next year after completing the seven-year participation period outlined in Republic Act 11310 or the 4Ps Act. However, the DSWD is working with lawmakers to amend the law so that program exit is based on the actual socio-economic status of the household, rather than a fixed time frame.

“We are coordinating with our partners in the legislature to promote amendments to the law,” Dumlao said. The aim is to adopt a needs-based approach to ensure the program is responsive to the needs of beneficiaries and achieves its objective of alleviating poverty among poor households.