AGRI Partylist Rep., Wilbert T. Lee, called on the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to prioritize farmers and fisherfolks as eligible beneficiaries in the Department’s move to accommodate new recipients of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).

In line with the DSWD’s plan to add 1.3 million households in 4Ps, Lee filed House Resolution (HR) No. 89 seeking for the inclusion of qualified farmers and fishermen.

“Although the figures reported by the DSWD are still in the process of final validation, the cash assistance and slots for those who ‘graduated’ from the program, and are not considered extremely poor anymore, must be given to the poorest and most neglected sector and population—the farmers and fisherfolks, as long as they qualify with the criteria set forth in the 4Ps Act,” Lee, a member of the minority, said. 

Last July 20, DSWD Secretary, Erwin Tulfo, said 1.3 million Filipino households “graduated” from extreme poverty and would no longer receive conditional cash grants from the government, freeing up to ₱15 billion for new beneficiaries of the poverty reduction program.

Section 6 of  Republic Act No. 11310 or the 4Ps Institutionalization Act states that farmers and fisherfolks, among other vulnerable sectors, shall be automatically included in the standardized targeting system to be conducted by the DSWD, provided, that to be eligible for the cash grants, households or families must meet the criteria spelled out in the law. 

Reportedly, farmers and fisherfolks have the highest poverty incidences among the basic sectors in 2018. According to the Philippine Statistics Office (PSA), agricultural workers are only being paid an average daily wage of ₱331.10 in 2019. 

“As I and the AGRI Party-list stated earlier, we laud the President’s prioritization of the Agriculture sector. Serious attention should be given by the government to our farmers and fisherfolks now. We must concretely acknowledge their fundamental role in our economy, address their plight and give proper value to their contributions through tangible and impactful assistance to their children and households,” said Lee. 

“Apart from modernizing our agriculture infrastructure and equipment, we must give equal importance to integrated efforts on investing in human development among farmers and fisherfolks which is the education of their children and healthy households to address the root causes of poverty. Sa susunod na ulat ng DSWD, umaasa tayo na mas marami na sanang magsasaka at mangingisda na benepisyaryo ng 4Ps. 

“Sunod-sunod ang kalbaryong dinadanas ng ating mga magsasaka at mangingisda—mula sa mababang kita, pagkasira ng ani o kawalan ng huli dahil sa kalamidad, mataas na gastos sa farm input at pagtaas ng presyo ng mga bilihin, pati na ang mga dagdag na pasaning dulot ng pandemya. Napakalaking tulong na maibigay sa kanila ang karampatang mga benepisyo, hindi lang para makabangon, kundi upang tuluyang maiangat ang kanilang pamumuhay. ” he added.