Anakalusugan Party-list Representative Michael Defensor has called the proposal to exclude the 4.4 million household beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program or 4Ps from receiving their conditional cash grants if they do not get vaccinated against COVID-19 as “oppressive and anti-poor”.

“The proposal is downright oppressive and anti-poor, and simply unacceptable. Indigent families and their dependent children will suffer more if they get deprived of their cash subsidies,” said Defensor, House committee on welfare of children vice chairperson, in a statement on Sunday, November 7.

“Instead of penalizing poverty-stricken families, the government should find better ways to further improve public access to COVID-19 vaccination services,” Defensor added.

Earlier, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) spokesperson Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said the government was exploring the possibility of removing 4Ps beneficiaries of their subsidies if they refuse to get inoculated against COVID-19.

Defensor said the 4Ps has a P106.8 billion budget this year, of which P99.2 billion is allocated for the cash grants, including the amount for rice subsidies of 4.4 million qualified household-beneficiaries.

In the proposed P5.024 trillion national budget for 2022, Defensor said that the 4Ps – a poverty reduction and human capital investment program of the government – has a higher allocation of P115.7 billion.

Under the said program, qualified household recipients are entitled to receive cash grants provided they keep their children in school, undergo regular medical checkups, and send at least one representative to attend monthly family development sessions.

Pregnant women in the family must also avail of the pre-natal services, give birth in a health facility, and receive post-partum care as well as post-natal care for their newborn child. (Melvin Sarangay)