The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has requested funding from Congress to raise cash grants within the government's conditional cash transfer program.
This proposal came during the deliberations of the agency's P209.667-billion budget for the following year. Agri party-list Rep. Wilbert Lee pointed out that a study supported increasing cash aid under the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).
“Last May 29, 2023, a Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) report revealed that because of the covid-19 pandemic and because of the inflation, the P31,200 maximum amount that a 4Ps household can receive in a year had been reduced in value to only P14,524,” Lee said.
“Yun po P300 noong 2019, kailangan na po nila ng P366 ngayon. Nabawasan ng kalahati ang value, yung total cash grant na pwede matanggap ng beneficiary. Ano po ang recommended action dito ng DSWD as lead agency of the NAC?” Lee said.
Agri party-list Rep. Wilbert Lee inquired further, asking Negros Oriental First District Rep. Jocelyn Sy-Limkaichong, the budget sponsor for the DSWD, whether she proposed the cash grant increase to the DBM.
Rep. Jocelyn Sy-Limkaichong clarified that the National Advisory Council approved the proposal for a cash grant increase, but this occurred after completing the National Expenditure Program.
She further explained that discussions are ongoing with the DBM, and the agency is seeking Congress to include a special provision in the 2024 budget, categorizing it under unprogrammed funds.
DSWD wants more budget for 4Ps grant increase
These funds are reserved and utilized once the government identifies a funding source, including excess revenues, new revenues, or loans.
It's worth noting that the PIDS recommended a 20 percent increase in the cash grant.
Rep. Jocelyn Sy-Limkaichong emphasized that the authority over budget allocation rests with Congress, which means it can provide for this increase through a special provision.
She highlighted that approximately 1.1 million households are currently undergoing reassessment as they were initially categorized as non-poor, resulting in the loss of their cash grant entitlement.
Additionally, Limkaichong mentioned that there will be retroactive payments for 755,638 households following the reassessment, amounting to a total of P12.69 billion. She assured that the reassessment of those delisted is almost 99 per cent complete, and all pending payments should be disbursed within the year.
