The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has clarified concerns raised in the Commission on Audit (COA) 2023 report, which stated that beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) from 2020 to 2022 were not listed in the “Listahanan 2” database.
“All 4Ps beneficiaries referred [to] as ‘unlisted’ in the 2023 COA report have been accounted for through the use of name-matchings meticulously conducted by our personnel in the 4Ps and Listahanan,” DSWD spokesperson Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao said on Thursday, Jan. 9.
According to COA’s 2023 annual audit report, of the 14,004 paid 4Ps beneficiaries from 2020 to 2022, 9,553 were not found in Listahanan 2 in 2020, 9,057 in 2021, and 8,498 in 2022.
However, in the response letter to COA submitted on Aug. 14, 2024, DSWD explained, through the 4Ps National Program Management Office (NPMO) and National Household Targeting Office (NHTO), that a rigorous data validation process was carried out. This included manual name-matching for the 14,004 validated sample households.
As a result, only 17 households from the sample were not found in Listahanan 1 or 2 but were subsequently included in Listahanan 3.
DSWD assured that the upcoming implementation of the Community-Based Monitoring System this year will help lessen or eliminate such discrepancies.
“We acknowledge the findings of COA and view them as an opportunity to further enhance the targeting processes. Our priority is to ensure that the benefits of 4Ps reach the poorest and most vulnerable families across the country,” Dumlao said.