The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has confirmed that over 400,000 waitlisted households are eligible to join the government’s Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) once existing beneficiaries complete their participation. These households, identified through recent validations, will fill slots left by families set to “graduate” from the program.
According to Gemma Gabuya, national program manager for 4Ps, the newly eligible households will be admitted into the program when current beneficiaries exit through the Pugay Tagumpay graduation ceremony. This ceremony marks the transition of households that no longer meet the criteria for assistance, such as having children aged beyond eligibility for education monitoring.
The reassessment, ordered in July by DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian, focused on identifying households previously classified as “non-poor” under the Listahanan 3 national database. Findings revealed that over 700,000 of these households remain economically vulnerable, warranting their continued inclusion in 4Ps.
This process aligns with Republic Act 11310, also known as the 4Ps Law, which mandates that families exit the program when their last monitored child reaches 19 years of age. The DSWD has intensified its efforts to facilitate the graduation of households with children who are no longer enrolled in primary or secondary education.