A total of 377 families graduated from the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) in Muntinlupa.
4Ps is the Philippine government’s “national poverty reduction strategy and human capital investment program that provides conditional cash transfer to poor households for a maximum period of seven (7) years, to improve health, nutrition and education,” according to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
Muntinlupa Mayor Ruffy Biazon at the Pugay Tagumpay Graduation Day (Photo from Muntinlupa PIO)
Pugay Tagumpay Graduation Day (Photos from Muntinlupa PIO)
The beneficiaries of 4Ps “are households that: are classified as poor and near-poor based on the Standardized Targeting System and the poverty threshold issued by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) at the time of selection.”
The DSWD led the Pugay Tagumpay Graduation Day attended by Muntinlupa Mayor Ruffy Biazon where the families were recognized.
“Sabi nga nila, walang forever, at mas maganda talaga na walang forever pagdating sa pagtanggap ng tulong mula sa gobyerno (As they say, there is no forever, and it’s better that there is no forever when it comes to receiving assistance from the government),” said Biazon.
He said 4Ps can be seen not only as a chance to get financial assistance from the government but to learn life lessons including saving, budgeting and prioritizing needs.
“Ayaw natin na umaasa lang ang mga tao sa gobyerno (We don't want people to rely solely on the government); we want every family to be self-sustaining,” the mayor added.
“The City Government will continue to support Muntinlupeño families, especially in the education of your children. Congratulations to all the graduates! Patuloy tayong magsikap para sa mas maliwanag na kinabukasan! (Let's continue to strive for a brighter future),” he added.
According to the Muntinlupa City government, the graduation from 4Ps meant that a family is now out of poverty and has the capability to become self-sufficient.
Under 4Ps, according to the DSWD, each household receives cash grants. These are “cash grants representing the program benefits are as follows: Health Grant of P750.00 per month for each household; Education Grant of P300.00 per child in elementary, P500.00 per child in junior high school and P700.00 per child in senior high school, with a maximum of three (3) children per household for 10 months in a school year; and, Rice Subsidy of P600.00 per month for active and compliant households. Cash grants are computed according to compliance with said conditions and are released every two (2) months.”