The Department of Budget and Management has approved the release of an additional P5 billion to the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).

These approved funds will be used to cover the 703,888 4Ps household beneficiaries, which were sourced from the Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 Continuing Appropriations in arrears, resulting in the deactivation or suspension of other beneficiaries.

“Makakatulong po ito para maibsan ang epekto ng inflation sa ating mga kababayan. The DBM will do its part to streamline budget processes so that our citizens benefit from faster and more efficient delivery of essential services such as our 4Ps,” DBM Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman said.

Pangandaman emphasized the significance of this approval, stating that "through this allocation, the DSWD can continue its critical work without interruption, providing much-needed assistance to our most vulnerable citizens."

In his third State of the Nation Address (SONA), President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. reported that over 420,000 households have graduated from the 4Ps or been assessed as self-sufficient since his previous SONA.

“With a noble aim of breaking the cycle of poverty across the country, the 4Ps has not only consistently accomplished its annual target, it has also proven its efficacy over the years,” Marcos said.

A cornerstone of the Philippine government's social protection strategy, 4Ps offers conditional cash transfers to poor households to improve health, nutrition, and education outcomes.

Additional funding will strengthen these efforts, allowing the initiative to sustain operations and reach even more families.

For next year, the government aims to allocate around P114 billion for the 4Ps, higher than the P106 billion program this year, based on the proposed National Expenditure Program.

It also targets to increase the cash allocations for 4Ps beneficiaries by 2026, increasing cash grants to beneficiaries with a child enrolled in daycare to P350 from P300 per month, while for those in junior high school, it would be from P500 to P600, and for senior high school, from P700 to P800.