The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and congresswomen Leila de Lima and JC Abalos disagree with Senator Erwin Tulfo's proposal to eliminate the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program or 4Ps.
4Ps is a government anti-poverty program. It provides conditional aid to poor families for up to seven years. It aims to improve the health, nutrition, and education of children aged 0 to 18.
According to Gemma Gabuya, program director of 4Ps, the program has proven in recent years to be helping to reduce the number of poor people in the country. She said there is no reason to abolish it.
Iginiit naman ni Rep. De Lima, may-akda ng batas na nagpatibay sa 4Ps, na ang mga benepisyaryo ng programa ay hindi umaasa lang sa ayuda. “Hindi ito limos. May mga kondisyon ang programa kaya nararapat lang ang natatanggap nila,” ani De Lima.
Instead of eliminating it, Rep. Abalos wants to further strengthen the 4Ps. He said that livelihoods are important in overcoming poverty, but 4Ps is an investment in the education and health of youth from the poorest families.