Over P16.3 B cash aid released to 3.6 million 4Ps beneficiaries – IATF

MANILA, Philippines — Over P16.3 billion in cash grants have been released to the more than 3.6 million beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), the spokesperson of the Inter-agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases announced on Monday.

In a virtual press briefing, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has already transferred the cash assistance to the ATM accounts of the 4Ps beneficiaries.

“Sa ating mga 4Ps beneficiaries na may cash cards: last week po na-transfer ng DSWD ang inyong karagdagang tulong sa inyong mga ATM accounts,” he added.

(To our 4Ps beneficiaries who have cash cards: the DSWD has already transferred your cash grants to ATM cards last week).

“Out of the total 4Ps beneficiaries, more than 3.6 million with cash cards nationwide were provided with the subsidy with a total budget allocation of more than P16.3 billion,” he said.

Citing information from the DSWD, Nograles said 4Ps beneficiaries with cash cards in Regions 1, 2, 3, 4-A, National Capital Region (NCR), Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) have already received their emergency cash subsidies last April 3.

For the second round of release on April 4, cash assistance has already been released to 4Ps beneficiaries in Regions 4-B, 5, 6, 7, and 9.

Cash grants to beneficiaries in Regions 8, 10, 11, 12, and Caraga were released on April 5, Nograles noted.

“Sa mga 4Ps beneficiaries na wala pang cash cards, dinownload na po ang pondo sa mga DSWD regional offices para maibigay na po ang inyong cash subsidy,” he added.

(To 4Ps beneficiaries who does not have cash cards yet, the funds for your cash subsidy have been downloaded to the DSWD regional offices).

According to Nograles, the DSWD is working on the distribution arrangements with local government units together with the city and municipal links who will coordinate with the beneficiaries for the scheduled release of their emergency cash subsidy.

To date, Philippine health authorities have confirmed 3,246 COVID-19 cases in the country.

Of the number, 152 have died while 64 patients have recovered from the disease.

GSG