San juan city: The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has expressed its full support for President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s call to amend the provisions of Republic Act 11310, which institutionalized the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps). This announcement was made during the Post-SONA Discussions Session 3: Health and Social Welfare Protection, where DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian highlighted the need for changes to the law.

According to Philippines News Agency, Secretary Gatchalian noted that the current law allows 4Ps beneficiaries to remain in the program for a maximum of seven years. However, recent challenges such as the Covid-19 pandemic and inflation have weakened the beneficiaries' purchasing power and their ability to cope with economic challenges. He emphasized that the seven-year cap should not determine when families exit the program, but rather their living conditions should be the deciding factor.

Gatchalian further explained that approximately two million families are at risk of being removed from the program due to this provision. However, with the President's directive and support from Congress and the Senate, amendments will be made to allow families who are not yet ready to graduate from the program to remain.

During the session, Gatchalian praised President Marcos for recognizing the unique circumstances of each 4Ps family, advocating for a more personalized approach rather than a one-size-fits-all policy. The 4Ps is a crucial poverty reduction and human capital investment initiative, providing conditional cash transfers to improve children's health, nutrition, and education. Over 4.4 million households are currently benefiting from the program.