Manila: The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Monday said the Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey that showed a decrease in the number of "self-rated poor" families in April is an indication that the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) is on the right track.
According to Philippines News Agency, Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao stated, "This is a good indicator that the government's anti-poverty program is on the right track. This also shows the effectiveness of the 4Ps insofar as helping the poor attain the level of self-sufficiency while providing them with the necessary interventions to ensure that they will not slide back to poverty."
The 4Ps serves as the national government's flagship initiative aimed at breaking the intergenerational cycle of poverty by offering education and health grants to 4Ps household beneficiaries, who are required to attend monthly family development sessions (FDS).
"The latest SWS survey also shows that the Marcos Administration's whole-of-nation approach to poverty alleviation is gaining traction," the DSWD spokesperson added.
The SWS report highlighted that the 5-point decrease in nationwide self-rated poverty resulted from declines in Metro Manila and Mindanao, along with steady scores in Balance Luzon and the Visayas.
Dumlao further explained that immediate disaster response contributed to the decline in poverty incidence, based on the SWS survey conducted from April 23 to 28. "Disasters exacerbate poverty. So, if their needs are immediately provided during typhoons, floods, and other calamities, the impact on the poor is cushioned and we prevent them from becoming poorer," Dumlao noted.
In previous discussions, DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian emphasized that President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s administration has been proactive in ensuring that exiting or graduating 4Ps beneficiaries do not revert to poverty through interventions such as nationwide job fairs and grants from the DSWD's Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP).
As of April 30, 2025, a total of 860,471 household beneficiaries have exited from the 4Ps program after achieving an improved level of well-being. These households were identified as self-sufficient according to the Social Welfare and Development Indicators (SWDI), making them eligible to exit the program before reaching the seven-year maximum stay.
The SWS April survey also noted a record high of 42 percent for 'not poor' families, an increase from 32 percent in all areas. The percentages rose by 15 points from 45 percent to 60 percent in Metro Manila; 7 points from 44 percent to 51 percent in Balance Luzon; 3 points from 21 percent to 24 percent in the Visayas; and 13 points from 16 percent to 29 percent in Mindanao.
The same SWS survey indicated that 8 percent of families rated themselves as borderline, marking a new record low that surpassed the previous low of 11 percent in December 2024.
