The proposed cash assistance increase under the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) should be based on yearly reviews in relation to the country’s inflation rate.
Thus, said AGRI Party-list Rep. Wilbert T. Lee, who has proposed changes in the substitute bill amending the 4Ps law during a recent technical working group (TWG) hearing of the House Committee on Poverty Alleviation.
"Kasi with the inflation, kada taon po ay maaaring mas bumibigat ang pasanin ng ating mga kababayan (Because with inflation, it's possible that the burden of our countymen could increase every year)," Lee noted.
"Ang mungkahi nga po natin, yearly na ‘yung review dito ng PIDS, instead of every six years para talagang makatugon sa pangangailangan ng mga benepisyaryo (My suggestion is, to make the PIDS review yearly instead of every six years in order for it to be more responsive to the needs of the beneficiaries)," said the neophyte solon.
PIDS stands for Philippine Institute for Development Studies.
Section 10 of Republic Act (RA) No. 11310, which institutionalized the 4Ps back in 2019, provided that every six years after the effectivity of the law, the PIDS shall recommend to the National Advisory Council whether the cash grants shall be adjusted to its present value using the consumer price index, as published by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
The Sorsogon-based congressman noted that getting annual recommendations from the PIDS would allow the House of Representatives to incorporate the 4Ps allocation in the proposed budget of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) during budget deliberations.
The 4Ps law currently provides conditional cash transfer grants of at least ₱300 per month per child for a maximum of 10 months per year for children enrolled in day care and elementary programs, at least ₱500 per month per child for up to 10 months per year for children enrolled in junior high school, and at least ₱700 per month per child for up to 10 months per year for senior high school.
The 4Ps is the flagship poverty alleviation program of the national government.
