De Lima defends 4Ps law amid criticism over ‘dole-outs’

Senator Leila de Lima on Saturday allayed fears that the law institutionalizing the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) would make its intended beneficiaries "overly-reliant" on government's cash dole-outs.

"Ang 4Ps ay isang pamumuhunan para sa magandang kinabukasan ng mga maralita nating kababayan," De Lima, the principal sponsor and author of the bill in the Senate, said.

"Hindi man nito agarang maiaahon sa kahirapan ang mga benepisyaryo, hinihikayat naman nito ang pamilyang Pilipino na pangalagaan ang kalusugan ng kanilang mga anak, siguruhing nakakapasok sila sa paaralan, at sa huli, mabigyan ng kakayahang mapabuti ang antas ng kanilang pamumuhay," she added.

According to a release from her office, the detained senator made the statement after the Center for Women’s Resources (CWR) criticized the signing of the bill into law.

The organization supposedly claimed that the law "prevents Filipinos from becoming self-sustaining by supposedly giving illusion that the government will provide all financial assistance to cover their basic needs."

A copy of Republic Act 11310, signed by President Rodrigo Duterte, was released by Malacañang on last week.

According to De Lima, the law provides conditional cash grants to qualified indigent families for a maximum of seven years, to improve their health, nutrition, and the education of their children aged 0-18.

The senator also refuted doubts that 4Ps will be a "temporary relief," arguing that the law enhances opportunities, such as employment and livelihood, to qualified indigent Filipinos to empower them to achieve the quality of lives that they deserve.

“It is important to note that cash transfers under this law are conditional, for one, upon the child beneficiaries' enrolment in school and their requirement to meet a required class attendance. To regularly receive financial assistance, they have to meet the requirements set under this law and not just waste the money elsewhere,” she said.

“And by limiting the years of membership in the program to seven years, the beneficiaries are already reminded to make good use of the money in the period provided because financial assistance will not be offered to them forever,” she added.

De Lima also gave assurance that the law she authored and sponsored has "enough provisions against possible abuses, such as transparency program, creation of independent monitoring committee, and corresponding penalties." — MDM, GMA News