Marcos pushes for more aid to pregnant women under 4Ps

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said extra assistance should be allocated to pregnant women who are already beneficiaries of the government’s conditional cash transfer program. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — The extra assistance allocated to pregnant women who are already beneficiaries of the government’s conditional cash transfer program will secure the health of both the mother and the unborn child, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said.

Marcos’s 2024 State of the Nation Address (Sona) speech on Monday said that his administration considers proper nutrition for the first 1,000 years of a child’s life a key strategy in addressing malnutrition in the country.

To ensure a mother and an unborn child’s well-being, the President said they have decided to include in the proposed 2025 national budget an additional grant under the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).

“An important of our strategy to address malnutrition shall be the program for the first 1,000 days or the first two years of a child’s life.  To ensure the health and nutrition of children zero to two years old from the poorest families, we have proposed in the 2025 budget a new grant under the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program for this purpose,” Marcos said.

“Sa pamamagitan nito, ang isang buntis o ang isang ina na benepisyaryo ng 4Ps ay mabibigyan ng karagdagang tulong pinansyal na laan para sa kanya at sa kanyang anak,” he added.  “Ang tulong na ito ay upang matiyak na siya at ang sanggol na (nasa) kanyang sinapupunan o batang anak ay maasikaso ng doktor, mababakunahan, at mabibigyan ng sapat na nutrisyon.”

READ: Live Updates: SONA 2024

Marcos first announced an additional aid for pregnant women last June 11 through the Presidential Communications Office, which said that the directive was based on the proposal of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

The DSWD said adjustments to the 4Ps would ensure that parents could seek health services to address the health needs of their children in their first 1000 days, improving compliance with program conditions that would prevent malnutrition and stunting.

READ: Marcos orders 4Ps expansion to include pregnant, lactating women 

The assistance would be an incentive worth P400 for pregnant or lactating women and mothers with children up to 2 years old who are enrolled in the 4Ps program.

READ: DSWD proposes P400 in pre-to postnatal aid under 4Ps 

According to Marcos, another component of his administration’s program against malnutrition is to tap the expertise of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), to develop nutritious food and drinks that can be provided to poor Filipinos.

Mental health, the President said, is also being attended to.

“Closely related to this, the DOST has been continuously undertaking scientific research to develop nutritious food and drinks, which can be integrated into the government’s feeding program,” he said.

“Government is aware of the pressing yet delicate social issues of the day, such as the mental well being of our people, the DOH has launched its comprehensive mental health plan and ensured sufficient supply of medication.  PhilHealth has also released this year its mental health benefit package for all its members,” he added.