HOUSE 9F REPRESENTATIVES
RECEIVED

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS ) ;
OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) Dare: 30 JUN 2015

First Regular Sesion ) tw R37. j

By: |

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVHS C {

REGISTRATION Unit |

House Bill No. 50 1 BULS ano Worx seevicg

Introduced by Representative Victor A. Yap

As of 06 April 2016, the second round of houschold assessment for Listahanan or the
National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTS-PR) of the Department of
Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) showed that a total 1,511,320 household beneficiaries of
the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program have improved their status to “non-poor”. This figure
represents a large percentage (36%) of the total 4.2 million active Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries

OF those who have transitioned to non-poor, about 67,968 or 4.5% are still at risk of
reverting to poverty when faced with disasters and economies shocks. Studies classify this group as
the “vulnerable” or “transient poor”. These are households who registered as non-poor at a
particular year but are dragged back to poverty a few years after.

Using the mentioned studies, the DSWD pegged 1.1 or 10% above the poverty line as the
threshold that will enable them to identify the vulnerable families in the assessment. By applying the
said threshold to the result of the Proxy Means Test (PMT), the Listahanan will be able to generate a
list of vulnerable families. Then, the Department can craft programs that specifically address the
needs of this sector. Of the 15.1 million households or 16.7 million families covered in the 2nd
assessment, the Listahanan identified 880,978 households or 983,816 families as vulnerable.

The Pantawid Pamilya Pilipino Program is more than just a cash grant program. It breaks the
intergenerational poverty cycle through investments in human capital. In a 2014 study, the World
Bank found improvements in health and education indicators among beneficiaries. The country's
4Ps is now the world's fourth largest conditional cash transfer program based on number of
beneficiaries behind India, Brazil, and Mexico.

Given the success of this Program to reach out the poor, there is a need to ensure
sustainability through an enacted policy. Hence, the passage of this bill is earnestly sought.

VICTOR
Representative, 2"



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SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS )
OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES )
it Regular Session )

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

502

House Bill No. ___

Introduced by Representative Victor A. Yap

AN ACT
INSTITUTIONALIZING THE PANTAWID PAMILYANG PILIPINO PROGRAM (4Ps)
TO REDUCE POVERTY AND PROMOTE HUMAN CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT AND
PROVIDING FUNDS THEREFOR

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 the “Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino
Program (4Ps) Act”,

SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. ~The State recognizes the need to strengthen the solidarity

of the family and actively promote its total development.

‘The State further recognizes its obligation to promote a just and dynamic social order that
will ensure the prosperity and independence of the nation and free the people 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 furthermore recognizes the need to protect the poor; thus, the State hereby

declares it a policy to:
(@) Provide assistance to the poor to alleviate their immediate needs;

(©) Break the intergenerational cycle of poverty through investment in human capital and

improved delivery of basic services to the poor, particularly education, health and nutrition;
(© Promote gender equality and empowerment of womens

(@ Achieve universal primary education;

(© Reduce child mortality; and

( Improve maternal health.


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SEC. 3. Definition of Terms. ~ As used in this Act:

(@) Case management refers to a process used by the Department of Social Welfare and
Development (DSWD) to enable the household-beneficiaries to improve their functioning
by dealing with their difficulties specifically in complying with the conditionalities of the

Program;

(b) Compliance verification refers to the checking and monitoring done to ensure that the
qualified household-beneficiaries comply with conditions for entitlement set forth by the

Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps);

(© Conditional cash grant refers to the amount being received by the qualified household-

beneficiaries who comply with the conditions for entitlement;

@) Extremely poor refers to households, duly identified by the standardized targeting
system, whose income falls short of enabling them to provide even just their nuttitional

requirements;

(©) Grantee refers to the most responsible adult member of the qualified houschold-

beneficiary authorized to receive the conditional cash transfer;

() Grievance Redress System refers to the mechanism of the DSWD which addresses and

resolves issues and concerns related to the implementation of the Program;
(@ Health facility refers to a barangay health station, rural health unit ot primary hospital;

(h) Health service providers refer to barangay health workers, barangay nutrition scholars

and midwives;

@ Poor refers to households whose income falls below the poverty threshold as defined by
the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) and cannot afford in a
sustained manner to provide their minimum basic needs of food, health, education, housing

and other essential amenities of life;

@ Preventive health check-up refers to health services comprising of complete

immunization, deworming, weight monitoring and management of childhood diseases;

(&) Program refers to the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) which is the national
poverty reduction strategy that provides conditional cash transfer to poor households to

improve their health, nutrition and education;

@ Qualified houschold-beneficiaries refer to households identified by the DSWD for

entitlement of the monthly conditional

sh grants

(m) Responsible person refers to the parent or guardian in the qualified household-

beneficiary; and


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(n) Standardized Targeting System refers to a system for identifying who and where the poor
households are through the generation of socioeconomic database of poot households that

is adopted by national government agencies and implemented by the DSWD.

SEC. 4. Selection of Qualified Household-Beneficiaries. — On a nationwide basis, the
DSWD shall select qualified household-beneficiaries using a standardized targeting system. The

DSWD shall conduct a revalidation of targeting of beneficiaries every three (3) years.

SEC. 5. Local Verification Committee. — A Local Verification Committee shall be created
in every municipality or city composed of two (2) local government unit representatives, an
accredited health-service provider from the barangay, a representative of an accredited civil society

organization, and the school head as designated by the Department of Education.

‘The Committee shall be tasked to ensure that the initial list of beneficiaries satisfies the

éligibility requirements set forth under this Act.

SEC. 6. Conditional Cash Transfer. — Subject to certain conditions, each qualified
household-beneficiary shall receive a conditional cash transfer equivalent to five hundred pesos
(P500.00) per month for health and nutrition expenses or the equivalent of six thousand pesos

(P6,000.00) per qualified household-beneficiary per year.

A maximum of three (3) children per qualified houschold-beneficiary shall be given

conditional cash grants for educational expenses:

(@ Three hundred pesos (P300.00) per month per child enrolled in elementary ot the
equivalent of three thousand pesos (P3,000.00) per a ten (10)-month school year;

(b) Five hundred pesos (P500.00) per month per child enrolled in junior high school or the

equivalent of five thousand pesos (P5,000.00) per a ten (10)-month school year; and

(© Seven hundred pesos (P700.00) per month per child enrolled in senior high school or the
equivalent of seven thousand pesos (P7,000.00) per a ten (10)-month school year.

A supplementary education grant of three hundred pesos (P300.00) per month shall be given
to the child in elementary or high school who has maintained passing grades in all subjects after the

second year of availment of the Program.

SEC. 7. Conditions for Entitlement, — All qualified household-beneficiaries shall comply

with the following conditions as a requirement for continued program eligibility:

(a) Children zero (0) to five (5) years old must receive regular preventive health check-ups

and vaccinations;

(b) Children six (6) to thirteen (13) years old must avail of deworming pills at least twice a

year;


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(© Children three (3) to five (5) years old must attend day care or preschool classes at least

eighty-five percent (85%) of the time;
@ Children must attend elementary or high school classes at least eighty-five percent (85%)

of the time;

(© Pregnant women must avail of pre- and post-natal care and give birth with the assistance

of a skilled or trained health care professional in a health facility;

(O At least one (1) responsible person must attend family development sessions and natural

family planning sessions conducted by the DSWD, at least once a month;

(@) At least one (1) responsible person must join and complete at least two (2) government-
recognized or accredited nongovernment organization (NGO)-sponsored entrepreneurship

ot livelihood training programs;

(b) At least one (1) responsible person must maintain cleanliness in the surroundings and

practice proper garbage disposal;
@ Atleast one (1) responsible person must plant trees in the surroundings; and

) Atleast one (1) responsible person must assist, help or participate in bayanihan projects in

their respective barangay or municipality.

SEC. 8. Noncompliance with Conditions. — The responsible person of a reported
qualified household-beneficiary who fails to comply with the conditions set forth in Section 7 of this

Act shall at first be notified in writing.

After four (4) months of noncompliance, the household-beneficiary shall be subject to case
management. If, despite the case management, the qualified houschold-beneficiary continues with

noncompliance, the benefits under this Act may be suspended.

Should the qualified houschold-beneficiary so notified persist in not complying with the

conditions within a period of one (1) year, the conditional cash grant shall be cancelled.

SEC. 9. Mode of Cash Transfer. — The conditional cash transfer shall be made by the
DSWD. The conditional cash grant shall be received by the grantee or any of the grantec’s duly
authorized representative on a bimonthly basis through an authorized government depository bank
duly identified by the DSWD, using different appropriate payment modes, including cash card, over-

the-counter transaction, money remittance services, conduit rural banks, and cooperatives.

SEC. 10. Periodic Assessment. — ‘The amounts indicated in Section 6 of this Act shall be
made available to the qualified household-beneficiaries during the first two (2) years of the

implementation of this Act and reasonable adjustments may thereafter be made by the President, if


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necessary, upon recommendation by the DSWD, after taking into account the rates of inflation and

similar economic indicators.

The grant rates may be adjusted by the DSWD if warranted by the changes in the
socioeconomic conditions existing at the time. The DSWD shall ensure that the grant rates are
sufficient to make a positive impact on the health, nutrition and education of grantees: Provided,
That the DSWD shall ensure that the grant will not serve as disincentive for family members to

work and improve their economic conditions.

SEC. 11, Loan Assistance. — Responsible persons who successfully completed the
entrepreneurship or livelihood programs required under Section 7 of this Act may be given loan
assistance as their initial capital by the appropriate government agency that will implement relevant

programs pursuant to Section 16 of this Act.

SEC. 12. Five (5)-Year Maximum Limit. - Each qualified houschold-beneficiary shall

receive the conditional cash grant for a maximum period of five (5) years.

SEC. 13. Lead Agency. - The DSWD shall serve as the central planning, coordinating,

implementing and monitoring body of the Program.
In the implementation of this Act, the DSWD shall have the following functions:

(a) Sclect and use an appropriate, effective and cost-efficient method devised for the purpose

of identifying and selecting qualified houschold-beneficiaries;

(b) Identify and select the target household-beneficiaries on the basis of a uniform, objective

and transparent selection process;

(Q) Conduct seminar-workshops and training programs in order to ensure qualified

household-beneficiary awareness of the conditions and other actions pertinent to this Act;

(@) Coordinate with different national and local agencies, including organizations from the

private sector to ensure full implementation of statutory commitments herein;

(©) Set up monitoring and evaluation systems and methodologies on compliance of
conditions, implementation of operations, and output and impact assessments, It shall also
coordinate with the advisory and monitoring committees at the national, regional and
‘municipal levels to verify compliance once a month using the monitoring and evaluation

systems designed for the purpose;

() Recommend to the President measures and policies for the responsive delivery of the

commitments under this Act;


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(@) Coordinate with different national and local agencies to maintain and update objective
poverty maps which will be checked and cross-checked periodically for duplications and

inaccurate or erroneous information;
(h) Formulate implementing rules and guidelines for the enforcement of this Act;

@ Submit an annual report to Congress including, but not limited to, all aspects of its

operations, financial status and other relevant data; and

@) Perform such other functions as may be necessary or incidental to the proper

implementation of the provisions of this Act.

SEC. 14, Advisory Council. — An Advisory Council shall be created at the municipal,
regional and national levels to be headed by the DSWD and may be composed of representatives
from the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, Department of Health, Philippine
Health Insurance Corporation, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of
Trade and Industry, Department of Labor and Employment, National Anti-Poverty Commission,
the Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor (PCUP), the local government unit concerned, and

accredited NGOs, as members.

The Advisory Council is principally tasked to monitor and assess actions and activities
relative to the implementation of the Program. It shall also serve as a Grievance Committee tasked
to accept complaints and grievances that may arise within their respective territorial jurisdictions,
conduct investigation in specific cases and dispose cases filed in connection thereto, using the

Grievance Redress System.

SEC. 15. Independent Monitoring Committee. — An Independent Monitoring
Committee at the municipal, regional and national level composed of representatives from the

private sector and civil society organizations shall be created,

‘The Independent Monitoring Committee is principally tasked to complement the monitoring

activities of the DSWD and provi

lc feedback thereto for proper action. It shall submit a report on
the results of its monitoting activities relative to the implementation of the Program to the Advisory

Council.

SEC. 16, Convergence of Programs and Services. - To ensure that the targeted
household-beneficiaries remain nonpoor after the prescribed maximum limit for receipt of the
conditional cash grant, multi-stakeholder and interagency convergence of programs and services
shall be implemented. ‘This shall focus on the enhancement of operational efficiency and

strengthening of interagency partnerships for greater impact and sustainability of outcomes.

SEC. 17. Appropriations. ~ The amount necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act
shall be charged against those authorized in the current and subsequent General Appropriations

Acts.


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‘The appropriation shall continue until the Program has covered sixty percent (60%) of the
total number of extremely poor families in the Philippines, as may be determined by the Philippine
Statistics Authority at the time of the enactment of this Act. The approptiation shall be included in

the annual appropriation of the DSWD.

SEC. 18. Penalty. — Any person, public or private, whether or not acting in conspiracy with
public officials, who, by act or omission, inserts or allows the insertion of data ot false information,
ot who diverts from what ought to be contained in the registry, with the view of altering the fact, or
aiding in the grant of the money to persons other than the qualified household-beneficiaries, shall be
penalized with imprisonment of not less than one (1) month but not more than six (6) months, ot a

fine of not less

than ten thousand pesos (P10,000.00) but not more than twenty thousand pesos

(20,000.00), or both imprisonment and fine, at the discretion of the court.
Administrative sanctions shall be imposed without prejudice to prosecution in the proper courts.

SEC. 19. Joint Congressional Oversight Committee. — Upon the effectivity of this Act, a
congressional oversight committee, hereafter to be referred to as the 4Ps Committee, is hereby
constituted. The 4Ps Committee shall be composed of fourteen (14) members with the chairpersons
of the Committee on Poverty Alleviation of the House of Representatives, and the Committee on
Social Justice, Welfare and Rural Development of the Senate and six (6) additional members from
each House, to be designated by the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Senate
President, respectively. This Committee is principally tasked to set the overall framework to monitor
and ensure the proper implementation of this Act. It shall likewise determine inherent weaknesses in

the law and recommend necessary remedial legislation or executive measures.

SEC. 20. Implementing Rules and Regulations. — Within six (6) months from the
effectivity of this Act, the Secretary of Social Welfare and Development shall, in coordination with
appropriate government departments and agencies, with the participation of the local government

units, promulgate the necessary rules and regulations to catty out the provisions of this Act.

SEC. 21. Separability Clause. ~ If any part or provision of this Act is held unconstitutional

or invalid, the remaining parts or provisions not affected shall remain in full force and effect.

SEC. 22, Repealing Clause. — Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive order,
letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary to ot inconsistent with the

provisions of this Act is hereby repealed, modified, or amended accordingly.

SEC. 23. Effectivity. — ‘This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the

Official Gazette ot in a newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,