The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) confirmed that retroactive payments for education grants have been credited to the bank accounts of beneficiaries reinstated into the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), with payments beginning on Aug. 14.

These grants had been suspended in 2023 due to household reassessments using the Social Welfare and Development Indicator (SWDI) Tool, which later led to the reinstatement of over 700,000 households into the program.

“After the assessment using the SWDI tool, we found out that these households, who were initially tagged as non-poor by the Listahanan 3, still need support from the program to help them achieve self-sufficiency. It is noted that their level of well-being, as assessed by the Listahanan 3 in 2019, was halted due to the pandemic which struck in 2020. Hence, we reinstated them to become eligible for the grants that will help them improve their status,” 4Ps National Program Manager and Director Gemma Gabuya explained.

She said retroactive payments for the 10-month education grants for 2023 have already been credited to the accounts of around 650,000 4Ps household beneficiaries.

“We are pleased to announce that the households reinstated into the 4Ps program have already received their education grants through the LandBank of the Philippines. These 4Ps beneficiaries, whose grants were temporarily put on hold while the SWDI assessment was being conducted, [have now received their due payments],” she said.

Meanwhile, she clarified that the delayed health grants and rice subsidies for the 650,000 households have been distributed between December 2023 and June 2024.

Gabuya said another batch of around 120,000 reinstated 4Ps households is expected to receive retroactive payments for education grants, health grants, and rice subsidies on Aug. 17.

“We acknowledge that these grants are vital for the reinstated families and we are committed to ensuring that these funds reach them promptly,” she added.

Under the 4Ps program, each household beneficiary receives a health and nutrition grant of P750 per month and a rice subsidy of P600 per month.

In addition, education grants are provided as follows: P300 per month for elementary schoolchildren; P500 per month for junior high school students; and P700 per month for senior high school, each for a period of 10 months.

The SWDI assessment is currently used to determine the exit of 4Ps household beneficiaries from the program, as outlined in the National Advisory Council’s Resolution No. 1, Series of 2023, and implemented by the DSWD through Memorandum Circular No. 19, Series of 2023.

The assessment categorizes households into three levels based on indicators of economic sufficiency and social adequacy—Level (survival), Level 2 (subsistence), and Level 3 (self-sufficiency). 

This categorization helps the program identify the necessary interventions to support families in achieving self-sufficiency.

Launched in 2008 and institutionalized in 2019 through Republic Act No. 11310, the 4Ps program currently provides cash grants to 4.4 million households nationwide.