DSWD: Around 28,000 pregnant women to benefit from expanded 4Ps

Around 28,000 pregnant women under the government’s conditional cash transfer program could benefit from the expanded cash grant, the Department of Social Welfare and Development said Thursday. 

“Sa kasalukuyan po, batay sa datos ng Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program National Program Management Office, as of May 31, nasa mahigit 28,000 yung mga buntis na ina…But of course, we expect this data to still change,” said DSWD spokesperson Irene Dumlao in a public briefing. 

(Based on the data by the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program National Program Management Office, as of May 31, there are over 28,000 pregnant mothers…But of course, we expect this data to still change.) 

President Ferdinand Marcos on Tuesday approved the proposal to provide cash grants to pregnant and lactating mothers under the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) to ensure that the health needs of their children would be addressed in the first 1,000 days.

But the DSWD said that the expanded cash grant might not be implemented anytime soon as the guidelines are still being ironed out. 

Marcos ordered the DSWD to coordinate with the Department of Budget and Management, and the National Economic Development Authority to determine the target beneficiaries and the amount of cash to be granted. 

“We have to understand na mayroon ding proseso na isasagawa for this [...] This would require some legislative actions dahil nga po ang nakasaad sa 4Ps Act ay yun lamang compliance ng mga program beneficiaries sa education, sa health. Kung magdadagdag nga tayo ng condition, of course, some amendments to the law will have to be made,” said Dumlao. 

(We have to understand that this will undergo a process…This would require some legislative actions because the 4Ps Act only covers program beneficiaries who comply with the education and health requirements. If we would add another condition, of course, some amendments to the law will have to be made.) 

The 4Ps 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. --VAL, GMA Integrated News