Department of Social Welfare and Development  (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian on Monday (July 22) directed the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program’s (4Ps) National Program Management Office (NPMO) to immediately work on the conditionalities for the implementation of the First 1,000 Days (F1KD) of children grant.

Secretary Gatchalian’s directive was based on the 3rd State of the Nation Address (SONA) wherein President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. proposed to Congress the additional 4Ps benefits for pregnant and nursing mothers in the 2025 national budget.

”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 kanyang anak. Ang tulong na ito ay upang matiyak na siya at ang sanggol sa kanyang sina-pupunan, o batang anak, ay ma-aasikaso ng doktor, maba-bakunahan, at mabibigyan ng sapat na nutrisyon,” the President said in his well-applauded SONA.

President Marcos said this program would help address malnutrition in the country, with the proposed grant to be given to infants from the poorest families until they are two years old.

The President earlier ordered a study on the adjustments in the 4Ps cash grants to address health gaps in the system and help beneficiaries keep up with inflation.

Republic Act No. 11148 or the First 1,000 days law seeks to institutionalize the convergence and scale-up of programs from different sectors around the critical first 1,000 days of life, and also focuses on strengthening the implementation and enforcement of the existing nutrition-related laws and policies.

Secretary Gatchalian and his 4Ps team led by Undersecretary Vilma Cabrera proposed to increase the 4Ps grant amounts and provide cash grant to First 1,000 Days (F1KD) of children during a February sectoral meeting on the Proposed Reforms to the 4Ps.

The adjustments would increase the purchasing power of the 4Ps beneficiaries and provide an incentive for them to improve compliance with program conditions that would prevent malnutrition and stunting.

The President later approved the proposal of the DSWD for the granting of a cash grant to pregnant and lactating women to ensure that they would seek health services to address the health needs of their children in their first 1000 days.

The President also directed the DSWD and the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) to draw up the final numbers and forward them to him so that the necessary adjustments could be done, as the chief executive underscored the importance of the additional support.

“Alam natin na ang paghango ng mga kababayan mula sa kahirapan a hindi mangyayari overnight, kaya kailangang mamuhunan tayo sa tao o ang tinatawag nating human capital investment. Habang binibigyan natin sila ng maximum na Php3,500 bilang tulong pinansyal, kailangan may mga conditionalities,” Secretary Gatchalian said in a recent interview.

Currently, a 4Ps beneficiary-family receives a health grant worth P750 per month per household for 12 months provided that their children aged 2-14 years old under growth development and monitoring; deworming and attend family development sessions (FDS).

Education grant are also given to children of 4Ps households. For elementary students, a Php300 grant per child per month for 10 months, conditional on their child’s school attendance; Php500 per child per month for junior high school with the same conditionality on their child’s school attendance and Php700 per child per month for 10 months for senior high school with the same condition.

On top of the health and education grants, a rice subsidy of Php600 per month is also given to 4Ps household beneficiaries.#