Ki REPRESS

Republic of the Philippines ie ™
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES // RECEIVED 2
Quezon City, Metro Manila {oJ 07 JUL 05

IZ DATE
+ Time Hag PA
TWENTIETH CONGRESS By Tweety

First Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. _1434

Introduced by Representative LEILA M. DE LIMA

AN ACT PROMOTING INCLUSIVE EDUCATION, ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND
EMPLOYMENT FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AMONG PANTAWID
PAMILYANG PILIPINO PROGRAM (4Ps) ADULT BENEFICIARIES, AMENDING
FOR THE PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NO. 11310, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS “AN
ACT INSTITUTIONALIZING THE PANTAWID PAMILYANG PILIPINO PROGRAM
(4Psy"

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The provision of adequate and responsive social services remains a
fundamental obligation of the State. No less than Article Il, Section 10 of the 1987
Constitution mandates: ‘[t]he State shall promote social justice in all phases of national
development.” In furtherance of this Constitutional vision and mandate, the State
should uphold its duty to provide accessible and quality education, and promote the
health and well-being of its people to empower and capacitate them to uplift their lives.

The unprecedented impact of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to be felt
today. Worse, it overturned the gains of the government's decades-long poverty
teduction efforts. The compounded effects of persistent external threats, inflationary
pressures, and recurring natural disasters further intensified the socio-economic
vulnerabilities of many Filipino households, many of whom still struggle to meet their
basic needs. While pre-pandemic data estimates around six million Filipinos were
lifted out of poverty in two years with the government's continued poverty reduction
interventions,’ data from a 2024 survey of the Social Weather Stations (SWS) showed
that more Filipinos—17.4 million in December 2024 compared to 16.3 million in
September 2024—found themselves poor, with self-rated poverty rising to its highest
level in 21 years?

‘Vera, B. (8 August 2020). 5.5M more poor people feared. Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved from
https://newsinfo. nquirer.net/1318413/5-5m-more-poor-people-feared.

2 Fuentes, A. (8 January 2025). More Filipinos ‘poor’ as self-rated poverty hits highest level in 21
years: SWS. Retrieved from https./Avww.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2025/1/8/more-filipinos-poor-
as-self-rated-poverty-hits-highest-level-in-21-years-sws-1629.


Cash transfer programs around the world have been seen to be one of the most
effective policy responses to support people during a crisis? The Pantawid Pamilyang
Pilipino Program (4Ps), which this Representation, as former Senator, helped in
institutionalizing as principal author and sponsor of Republic Act No. 11310 during the
18" Congress, has served as a flagship social protection program of the government.
This continues to be widely recognized for its role in mitigating the economic burdens
‘experienced by many Filipino families.

Success stories of hundreds of thousands of 4Ps beneficiaries who are now
considered as “self-sufficient” based on the Social Welfare and Development
Indicators (SWDI) are clear proof of the effectiveness of the program. With an
established mechanism for the targeted distribution of assistance to poor households
nationwide, the program helps cushion the socio-economic shocks that affect their
access to basic needs.

Regrettably, the current focus of 4Ps remains limited to beneficiaries aged 0 to
18 years. This excludes adult members of beneficiary households, despite the fact
that they bear the primary responsibility of generating income and ensuring the overall
welfare of the family. In this proposed measure, the scope of the program will be
expanded to include comprehensive assistance for adult members of 4Ps households,
such as educational support, livelihood initiatives, employment facilitation, and
entrepreneurial development.

Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) in 2023 revealed that 2.5
percent of the household population aged 25 years and older had not completed any
grade level or academic year.

This underscores the urgent need to strengthen inclusive access to education,
especially for adults, through the provision of appropriate educational interventions. It
is with this principle that this measure proposes the promotion of adult education
through the Alternative Leaming System (ALS) program, coupled with targeted
employment training and entrepreneurship development programs. These
interventions aim to help adult beneficiaries to attain self-sufficiency and contribute to
the upliftment of the general well-being of their households and communities. The
program further seeks to empower adult beneficiaries to choose the form of assistance
most aligned with their skills and aspirations—be it education, livelihood, or
entrepreneurship—thereby promoting personal autonomy, dignity, productivity, and
inclusive growth.

A similar bill had been passed on third and final reading at the House of
Representatives during the 19! Congress.

If this measure is passed into law, we expect optimum delivery of service to the
targeted 4Ps adult beneficiaries by improving their skills and knowledge, which will
increase their chances of finding employment or starting their own business and in the
long-run, freeing themselves from the chains of hunger and poverty.

3 COVID-19: How cash transfers can save lives and livelihoods. (27 June 2020). Retrieved from
https://conference..ibinet.group/2020/06/27 !covid-19-how-cash-transfers-can-save-lives-and-
livelihoods).


Expanding and strengthening 4Ps would definitely help break the
“intergenerational cycle of poverty” in the country.

The expeditious approval of this measure is earnestly sought.

kel tiloce


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

TWENTIETH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 1434

Introduced by Representative LEILA M. DE LIMA

AN ACT PROMOTING INCLUSIVE EDUCATION, ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND
EMPLOYMENT FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AMONG PANTAWID
PAMILYANG PILIPINO PROGRAM (4Ps) ADULT BENEFICIARIES, AMENDING
FOR THE PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NO. 11310, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS “AN
ACT INSTITUTIONALIZING THE PANTAWID PAMILYANG PILIPINO PROGRAM
(4ps)”

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in
Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as “Expanded Pantawid
Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) Act”

SEC. 2. Section 2 of Republic Act No. 11310 is hereby amended to read, as
follows:

“SEC. 2. Declaration of Policies. - The State shall promote a just and dynamic
social order thereby uplifting its citizens and marginalized sectors from poverty through
policies that provide adequate social services, promote full employment, a rising
standard of living, and an improved quality of life for all.

The State recognizes the need to foster social justice as provided for in Article
XIII of the 1987 Constitution, as follows:

“xxx

(g) Improve matermal health; [and]

(h) Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for alll];

AND

“() PROMOTE EDUCATION AMONG ADULT BENEFICIARIES THROUGH

ALTERNATIVE LEARNING SYSTEM, ENTREPRENEURSHIP TRAINING, AND
EMPLOYMENT TRAINING TO ACHIEVE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT. *


SEC. 3. Section 7 of the same Act is amended to read, as follows:

“SEC. 7. Conditional Cash Transfer to Beneficiaries. - The Advisory Council
shall determine the amount of conditional cash transfer to beneficiaries with the
following schemes:

"x x x “(c) Conditional cash transfer grant per child enrolled in senior high school
shall not be lower than Seven hundred pesos (P700.00) per month per child for a
maximum of ten (10) months per year{.];

[and] “(d) Health and nutrition grant shall not be lower than Seven hundred fifty
pesos (P750.00) per month for a maximum of twelve (12) months per year{.];

AND

“(E) THE COMMUNITY MOBILIZATION GRANT, WHICH REFERS TO A
CONDITIONAL CASH TRANSFER THAT IS USED TO FINANCE MEALS AND
TRANSPORTATION RELATED TO THE AVAILMENT OF ADULT EDUCATION
UNDER THIS ACT, MUST NOT BE LOWER THAN FIVE HUNDRED PESOS
(P500.00) PER INSTANCE PER ADULT BENEFICIARY OF THE ADULT
EDUCATION PROGRAM.

KX”
SEC. 4. Section 11 of the same Act is amended to read, as follows:

“SEC. 11. Conditions for Entitlement. — All qualified household-beneficiaries
‘shall comply with all of the following conditions as a requirement for continued program
eligibility:

(e) Children five (5) to eighteen (18) years old must attend elementary or
secondary classes at least eighty-five (85%) of their time; [and] “(f) At least one (1)
responsible person must attend family development sessions conducted by the
DSWD, at least once a month[.};

AND

(G) AT LEAST ONE (1) ADULT BENEFICIARY MUST JOIN AND COMPLETE
ANY OF THE FOLLOWING TRACKS OF ADULT EDUCATION:

(1) NON-FORMAL EDUCATION THROUGH THE ALTERNATIVE LEARNING
SYSTEM (ALS) TRACK OF THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION (DEPED). THE
ALS TRACK REFERS TO A PARALLEL LEARNING SYSTEM THAT PROVIDES A
VIABLE ALTERNATIVE TO THE EXISTING FORMAL EDUCATION INSTRUCTION
AND ENCOMPASSES BOTH NON-FORMAL AND INFORMAL SOURCES OF
KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS;

(2) ENTREPRENEURSHIP TRACK OF THE DEPARTMENT OF TRADE AND
INDUSTRY (DTI) AND DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL WELFARE AND
DEVELOPMENT (DSWD). THIS REFERS TO INTERVENTIONS WHICH FOCUS ON
THE ESTABLISHMENT OF MICRO-ENTERPRISE THROUGH ENHANCEMENT OF
SKILLS, PROVISION OF FINANCIAL CAPITAL AND BUILDING OR RE-BUILDING


PHYSICAL AND NATURAL ASSETS, AND WHICH COVERS PRODUCT
DEVELOPMENT, MARKETING, AND BASIC BUSINESS FINANCE; OR

(3) EMPLOYMENT TRACK OF THE TECHNICAL EDUCATION AND SKILLS
DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY (TESDA) OR THEIR ACCREDITED PRIVATE
SECTOR AND CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS. THIS REFERS TO PROGRAMS
THROUGH WHICH LEARNERS AND WORKERS ARE PROVIDED WITH
LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES TO ACQUIRE, UPGRADE, OR BOTH, THEIR
ABILITY, KNOWLEDGE AND BEHAVIOR PATTERN REQUIRED AS
QUALIFICATIONS FOR A JOB OR RANGE OF JOBS IN A GIVEN
OCCUPATIONAL AREA. THE AVAILMENT OF ADULT EDUCATION SHALL
COMMENCE ON THE SECOND YEAR OF ENROLLMENT IN THE 4PS. AS USED
IN THIS ACT, ADULT EDUCATION REFERS TO INTERVENTIONS THAT
IMPROVE TECHNICAL OR PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS, FURTHER
DEVELOP ABILITIES, ACQUIRE OR ENRICH KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND
COMPETENCIES IN A NEW FIELD THROUGH ALTERNATIVE LEARNING
SYSTEM TRACK, ENTREPRENEURSHIP TRACK OR EMPLOYMENT TRACK.

SEC. 5. Section 13 of the same Act is amended to read, as follows:

"SEC. 13. fLiveliheod} POST SKILLS TRAINING Interventions. — [Qualified]
THE ADULT EDUCATION fheuseheld-] beneficiaries shall be given priority in the
availment of the modalities and interventions funder DSWD's Sustainable-Livelihood

OF THE GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS
AFTER THE COMPLETION OF THEIR SELECTED TRACK OF ADULT
EDUCATION.

(A) ADULT EDUCATION BENEFICIARIES WHO SUCCESSFULLY
COMPLETED THE ENTREPRENEURSHIP TRACK SHALL BE GIVEN
ASSISTANCE BY THE DTI TO ENSURE EASE OF ESTABLISHING A MICRO OR
SMALL BUSINESS ENTERPRISE AND THE LINK TO THE TARGET CLIENTELE
OF THE 4PS ENTREPRENEUR.

(B) THE ADULT EDUCATION BENEFICIARIES WHO SUCCESSFULLY
COMPLETED THE EMPLOYMENT TRACK SHALL BE GIVEN JOB FACILITATION
ASSISTANCE BY THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT (DOLE).

(C) THE ADULT EDUCATION BENEFICIARIES WHO SUCCESSFULLY
COMPLETED NON-FORMAL EDUCATION USING THE ALS TRACK BY THE
DEPED UNTIL THEY FINISH SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL SHALL BE GIVEN
ASSISTANCE TO ENSURE THEIR PURSUIT OF HIGHER LEARNING OR

EMPLOYMENT.



QaURwH

SEC. 6. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance,
executive order, letter of instruction, rule or regulation inconsistent with the provisions
of this Act is hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

SEC. 7. Effectivity.- This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days following its

publication in the Official Gazette or in two (2) newspapers of general circulation in the
Philippines

Approved,