DSWD assures continued support for exiting 4Ps beneficiaries

MANILA – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Friday assured Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) beneficiaries that they will continue to receive support from local government units (LGUs), as well as various government agencies and the private sector, even after they graduate from the program.

“The exiting 4Ps beneficiaries will be formally endorsed to their respective local governments, along with their case folders, to serve as guide for the Local Social Welfare and Development Office in implementing programs and services that the families may need. The endorsement process takes place during the Pugay Tagumpay Graduation Ceremonies organized by DSWD, in partnership, with the local government,” DSWD Spokesperson and Assistant Secretary Romel Lopez said.

“And because of the exiting or graduating households, those in greater need will have the opportunity to be included in the 4Ps program and have a chance to improve their quality of life,” he added.

According to the DSWD spokesperson, “graduating or exiting households undergo social preparation, such as attending Family Development Sessions,” in accordance with the Kilos-Unlad case management strategy.

“This includes reviewing the household intervention plan to ensure the family’s plans are well-crafted with the assistance of city and municipal links for their progress and prevent them from falling back into poverty,” Lopez said.

He pointed out that before the “Pugay Tagumpay” graduation ceremony, exiting or graduating families go through a thorough assessment process to evaluate their living conditions.

“Families identified to have helped themselves out of poverty will no longer receive cash grants starting from Pay Period 6, which covers the months of December 2022 and January 2023,” he said.

Lopez also said the DSWD is conducting reassessment processes to confirm the status of beneficiaries included in the list of those no longer qualified for the program in response to appeals from 4Ps beneficiaries.

“As a result of the reassessment, some households will temporarily not receive cash grants,” he said.

LGU assistance

To ensure that beneficiaries are prepared for their exit from the 4Ps program, the DSWD established the “Kilos Unlad” Social Case Management Framework.

“This is a process that guides graduating 4Ps beneficiaries in improving their quality of life in collaboration with the national and local governments and the private sector,” Lopez explained.

He said that beneficiaries who are exiting and graduating beneficiaries may coordinate with their respective LGUs for any additional assistance, services, or programs that they might need.

The reasons for beneficiaries to exit the program are listed in Rule XV Section 35 of the Implementing Rules and Regulations of the 4Ps Law.

These include the last monitored child in the household turning 18 or finishing high school, the household completing the seven-year program limit, the family no longer being classified as poor based on the assessment made by the standardized targeting system, currently known as “Listahanan,” voluntary withdrawal from the program, and program violations or offenses that result in the imposition of appropriate sanctions or expulsion from the program.