President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. told the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to ensure that only qualified families are included in the list of beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).
During his 73-minute State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 25, Marcos said the ongoing validation of the list of 4Ps beneficiaries must result in a "clean list."
"Upang matiyak na mapupunta sa kwalipikadong mga pamilya ang tulong ng pamahalaan sa pamamagitan ng 4Ps o Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, titiyakin natin na malilinis ang listahan ng benipisyaryo (In order to ensure that the assistance from the government through 4Ps will only go to qualified families, let us ensure that the list of beneficiaries is clean)," the President said.
He said it is necessary to ensure that assistance from the government would only go to those who are in dire need.
Social Welfare Secretary Erwin Tulfo said during the third Cabinet meeting that at least 1.3 million beneficiaries are delisted from 4Ps because they are no longer considered "poor," which is a major qualification to be included in the program.
Marcos referred to the delisting of beneficiaries as "graduation" as they are now able to stand on their own.
"Higit na sa isang milyong pangalan na ang naka-graduate na sa listahan. At nagagalak akong mabatid na sila ay nakakatayo na sa kanilang sariling paa (More than one million names have graduated from the list. And I am glad to learn that they can now stand on their own)," the President said.
The Chief Executive also committed various efforts in reaching out to those in need such as establishing more operation centers and warehouses around the country for the storage of relief food packs that will be promptly distributed in times of calamities; strengthening of the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS); sustaining supplemental feeding program for kids in Child Development Centers and Supervised Neighborhood Play; and ensuring that the 70 residential care centers and seven non-residential care centers have sufficient budget to help more vulnerable sectors and persons with disabilities.