DSWD: 1.3 million 4Ps recipients may be dropped, their ‘poor’ status being checked

FILE PHOTO: Makeshift houses in a poor community along Delpan Street in Binondo, Manila. INQUIRER FILES

MANILA, Philippines — At least 1.3 million beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) may find themselves scratched off the list.

Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Erwin Tulfo said Tuesday they are reviewing these recipients to determine whether they are still “poor” based on 4Ps standards.

Malacañang said Tulfo reported during the third Cabinet meeting led by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. that at least 1.3 million 4Ps beneficiaries “are no longer considered poor” by 4Ps qualifications.

Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles even said in a statement that this could mean that P15 billion may be freed up “for other qualified persons” who may now be included in the 4Ps.

“Of note is Sec. Erwin Tulfo’s declaration that in the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino program, at least 1.3 million beneficiaries out of 4.4 [million] are no longer considered ‘poor’ as a qualification for the 4Ps benefits,” she said.

“This frees up P15 [billion] for other qualified persons to replace them and now be included in the said program,” she added.

But in a phone interview, Tulfo said the review of the 4Ps recipients is still ongoing, stressing that checking the list of beneficiaries was among Marcos Jr.’s marching orders during their first Cabinet meeting.

According to him, the DSWD is still interviewing more than 600,000 beneficiaries of 4Ps.

“They’re not considered anymore as poor. ‘Yung listahan po ng national targeting office namin, sa bureau namin, they’re our foot soldiers, they’re the people working on the ground, interviewing people,” Tulfo told reporters.

(They’re not considered as poor anymore. The list of our national targeting office, in our bureau, they’re foot soldiers, they’re the people working on the ground, interviewing people.)

“Ngayon, sa list nila po, poor and non-poor lang, ‘pag poor ka, you continue to stay sa 4Ps, ‘pag non-poor ka na, we have to take you out,” he added.

(Now, on their list, it’s either you are poor or non-poor. If you are poor, then you continue to stay in 4Ps. If you’re non-poor, we have to take you out.)

Tulfo earlier said his office received reports that some beneficiaries of the 4Ps program are no longer qualified to accept cash assistance from the government.

“We have a lot of reports, even the President, nakakatanggap na ng mga sumbong sa kanya na ‘yung mga kapitbahay daw may mga magagandang bahay at may mga trabaho na ‘yung anak and yet hindi pa nila sinu-surrender ‘yung kanilang 4Ps,” he said in a previous interview with ABS-CBN News Channel.

(We have received many reports that their neighbors already have nice houses and the children already have jobs, but the beneficiaries are not surrendering their 4Ps yet.)

The Cabinet meeting also tackled priority programs for basic education. The discussion was led by Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte.

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KGA/abc