Manila: The House of Representatives has passed a measure aimed at strengthening and expanding the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), with a focus on increasing support for impoverished families and creating pathways for education, livelihood, and eventual graduation from the program. The approval came on Tuesday during the third and final reading, with a vote count of 224-3-0 in favor of House Bill (HB) No. 8647.
According to Philippines News Agency, the bill maintains the original objectives of 4Ps but enhances its responsiveness to the daily challenges faced by families in need, aiming not only to help them survive but also to enable them to become self-sufficient. The legislation extends the policy goals of the 4Ps law by incorporating elements such as socio-economic resilience, adult education through the Alternative Learning System, entrepreneurship training, livelihood support, and a transition program for beneficiaries graduating from the program.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development is tasked with strengthening case management by utilizing community-level data, household profiling, validation, and local planning to link beneficiaries to appropriate services. The measure recognizes the critical importance of the first 1,000 days of a child's life, offering targeted support from conception until the child's second birthday to address health, nutrition, and early development needs.
The bill proposes setting the health and nutrition grant at a minimum of PHP750 per month for up to 12 months each year, while pregnant women and children under two years will receive at least PHP850 monthly for the same duration. Additionally, it includes a PHP1,000 grant for the health and nutrition needs of pregnant and postpartum mothers, infants, and young children, and establishes a rice subsidy of no less than PHP1,500 per month for a maximum of 12 months annually.
House Majority Leader and Ilocos Norte Representative Ferdinand Alexander 'Sandro' Marcos emphasized that the 4Ps should serve as a bridge to better income, education, and opportunities for families. "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," Marcos stated.
The measure mandates that at least one adult beneficiary must complete a chosen track in adult education, entrepreneurship, technical-vocational training, or similar pathways toward employment or livelihood. It also introduces a transition program for households scheduled to graduate from 4Ps, ensuring they continue to have access to skills training, employment facilitation, financial literacy, microenterprise assistance, or referral services.
Furthermore, the bill ensures that qualified beneficiaries are covered under the National Health Insurance Program, with premium subsidies provided by the national government in accordance with the Universal Health Care Act. It requires local governments to incorporate both existing and graduated beneficiaries into local social protection, development, and poverty reduction plans.
To prevent fraud and misuse of benefits, the bill includes penalties for actions such as providing false information, inserting unqualified beneficiaries, using grants for unlawful purposes, and withdrawing benefits through another person's transaction card under false pretenses.
