DSWD's Tulfo: 30% of 1.3M households deemed non-poor won't be delisted from 4Ps

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said Tuesday that around 30% of the 1.3 million households deemed non-poor by the agency won't be delisted from the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino or the conditional cash transfer Program (4Ps) just yet.

DSWD Secretary Erwin Tulfo said such a figure is based on DSWD's consultation with groups of 4Ps beneficiaries, a consultation that resulted from the DSWD's announcement that the DSWD will be delisting 1.3 million beneficiaries from the 4Ps program since these households already reached non-poor status.

The 4Ps is an anti-poverty program that provides health, education as well as rice assistance in the form of cash to the poorest of the poor households monthly, depending on their compliance with conditions promoting human development goals such as keeping children in schools and attending family development sessions, among others.

"There were beneficiaries na nagreklamo kasi nagka-pandemic. Wala naman sigurong yumaman [sa pandemic], kakaunti lang. To make sure na walang made-delist na mahirap, nagpatawag po ng pulong with 4Ps groups and I met them three weeks ago. Around 30% to 40% raw po roon [sa 1.3 million households] ang hindi pa puwede alisin [sa 4Ps]," Tulfo said during DSWD's budget presentation of its proposed P194-billion budget for 2023 before the House appropriations panel.

Tulfo, however, noted that the validation of the list is still ongoing and safety nets are in place.

"We will have four lists to compare: our Listahanan (DSWD central office), that of the 4Ps beneficiaries, our municipal link, and the National Household Targeting System (Listahanan) in the field to make sure na iyong tamang tao ay hindi mawala sa listahan (that the right people will remain on the list)," Tulfo added.

Tulfo, however, said that the delisting of 4Ps beneficiaries won't mean that the government won't be assisting them anymore.

"We will be informing them that they won't be included anymore, and it will take a few months before they are delisted. But we have other programs for them, such as the Sustainable Livelihood Program as well as the AICS (Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations)," Tulfo said.

"There are other government programs that they can benefit from," he added.

The DSWD has allotted P115 billion for the 4Ps program under its proposed 2023 budget. 

Under the 4Ps law, its beneficiaries can be delisted under the following grounds:

• the household's youngest child already finished senior high school;
• the household has been in the program for seven straight years;
• when a household commits offenses/violates conditions for the cash grant;
• voluntary exit on the part of the beneficiary; and
• DSWD deeming a household non-poor based on evaluation.

—KG, GMA News