The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Tuesday said it is expecting to finish the reassessment of the list of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) beneficiaries by the end of September this year.
In a press briefing at the Malacañang, DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian said they will be reviewing a total of 1.4 million Filipino families for 4Ps, also known as the agency's anti-poverty program.
"Kung matatandaan natin na yung 4Ps ay 4.4 million households ang kasama diyan. So, imagine 1.4 million ang nagkaroon ng aberya," he added.
Of the 1.4 million families, 700,000 have requested to be reevaluated following the COVID-19 lockdown.
"Bumalik sila sa departamento dahil bumalik sila sa kahirapan dahil nawalan kami ng trabaho, so nag-request sila ng reassessment," the DSWD Secretary said.
The remaining 700,000 are families who were not assessed due to the restrictions implemented during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Ongoing yung reassesment ngayon at matatapos iyan by September para masigurado talaga na masasala natin nang mabuti yung dapat kasama sa 4Ps program, kasama sa program at yung dapat hindi na kasama sa program, hindi na kasama sa program. Sinigurado lang natin na na-filter nang maayos," Gatchalian said.
He said that about ₱96 billion, half of DSWD's 2023 budget, will be allocated for the payout of 4Ps beneficiaries.
"And the end of the year after his assessment is done, we believe that we can fully utilize the allocated budget," the DSWD Secretary said.
According to Gatchalian, they are presently using the Social Welfare and Development Indicator (SWDI) to review the conditions of Filipino families.
The latest national survey conducted by the Social Weather Survey (SWS) showed that 45% or an estimated 12.5 million Filipino families considered themselves as poor in the second quarter of 2023.
