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Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Batasan Hills, Quezon City

TWENTIETH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

104

HOUSE BILL

Introduced by 4Ps Partylist Representative
JCM. ABALOS

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Republic Act No. 11310 otherwise known as the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino
Program (4Ps) was institutionalized on April 17, 2019 as the government's flagship
poverty alleviation and social protection program. Studies by the World Bank and the
Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) consistently emphasize the
program's significant impact on improving the socioeconomic conditions of beneficiary
households and its substantial role in reducing poverty nationwide. Additionally, a 2020
report from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) outlined
positive outcomes, such as better child nutrition and education, improved access to
maternal and child health services, and consistently high levels of school enrollment
and attendance among early participants in the program. These studies underscores the
program's critical role in national development, particularly in striving for a single-digit
poverty rate in the country, as outlined in the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028.

The program is designed to improve the social and economic well-being of
household beneficiaries by investing in their health, nutrition, and education through
conditional cash grants. This entails that cash grants are only given to houschold
beneficiaries if they are able to fulfill the conditions of the program in the educational
and health-related requirements for children and pregnant individuals. Some examples
of these conditions include: children must be enrolled in elementary or high school and
attend at least 85 percent of the school days per month; children are required to visit
health centers once every two months for regular weight monitoring; in the case of a
pregnant household member, they must visit a health facility at least once every two


months to avail themselves of pre- and postnatal care services; and beneficiaries are
required to attend monthly Family Development Session (FDS) seminars, which aim to
impart knowledge on family development and foster participation in community
development affairs.

The implication of thes
requirements to continue receiving grants. In essence, non-compliance with the
program's conditions will result in the suspension of grant disbursements.

¢ conditions is that beneficiaries must adhere to specific

To ensure that the amount of the cash grants are sufficient, under Section 7 and
10 of RA 11310, it mandates the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) that
it shall recommend the National Advisory Council of the Program, which composes of
the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Health
(DOH), Department of Education (DepEd), and the National Hconomic and
Development Authority (NEDA), whether the cash grants needs to be adjusted to meet
present needs.

However, the cash grant amount has persisted without change since the
program's implementation. According to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), its
latest Inflation Report indicates that while the country generally experiences a
slowdown in the inflation rate, notable increases were observed in key sectors -
specifically for housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels, and health. Inflation rates
for housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels stood at 2.9% in April 2025, this is a
significant increase from 1.7% in March the same year. Health inflation rate reached
2.4%, up from 2.2% in March the same year. Further, PSA revealed in their latest Poverty
Statistics Report that 16.4% of Filipino families, totaling 4.51 million, continue to live in
poverty. Thus, these current situations only underscore that the current amount of the
4Ps cash grants may no longer be sufficient to provide the needed support to the
Pantawid Program beneficiaries.

Compounding this, despite the program's crucial mission and successful
outcomes, it also experiences budgetary challenges. For instance, in the Fiscal Year (FY)
2023 General Appropriations Act (GAA), a significant Php 13 billion was cut from the
program's budget, decreasing its allocation from the proposed Php 115 billion in the
National Expenditure Program (NEP) to Php 102 billion. Similarly, for FY 2024, the
budget was reduced from a proposed Php 112 billion to Php 106 billion. Furthermore, in
the FY 2025 GAA, the proposed allocation of Php 114 billion was slashed by Php 50
billion, resulting in a final appropriation of only Php 64 billion

These budget cuts have also been occurring since the program's
institutionalization. For instance, looking at the 2023 GAA for the DSWD, under its
special provision, indicates that the 2023 budget of the program should address payout
deficits from as far back as FYs 2017 and 2018. These deficits include unpaid cash grants,



salaries, and administrative costs from nearly five years ago, suggesting that insufficient
funding has likely caused a ripple effect, negatively affecting both beneficiaries and the
program's operations. A similar provision is also present in the 2025 GAA, which states
that the program's budget should cover cash grants, including the payment of arrears for
FYs 2023 and 2024.

This continuous reduction in the 4Ps budget and the obsolete amount of 4Ps
conditional cash grants has had serious repercussions, which directly affect the
household beneficiaries. Delays in the disbursement of conditional cash grants are being
experienced due to budget cuts. It should be noted that minor disruptions or delays in
receiving these grants can potentially result in household beneficiaries slipping back into
the cracks of poverty. Any reduction, then, whether in billions, millions, or hundreds of
thousands of pesos, inevitably has significant consequences for the lives of the nation’s
most vulnerable citizens.

Thus, this bill aims to increase the amount of conditional cash grants of the
Pantawid Program to better address the evolving economic realities and the sustained
needs of beneficiaries. Further, this bill also seeks to amend the appropriations section of
Republic Act No. 11310 to address the persistent budgetary cuts on the Pantawid
Pamilyang Pilipino Program, which cause detrimental impacts to the program's
beneficiaries and implementation.

As an  institutionalized government program designed to combat
intergenerational poverty, it is imperative that the 4Ps receives consistent and sufficient
funding to ensure its successful and sustained implementation. But above all, the 4Ps
invests in the education, health, and livelihood of its beneficiaries, which are
fundamental components for their stable future. It is then incumbent upon this body to
safeguard the integrity and efficacy of this vital program.

Further, the section of this bill pertaining to the increase in the amount of the 4Ps
conditional cash grant has successfully passed the committee level during the 19th
Congress of the House of Representatives; consequently, the enactment of this measure
is earnestly sought.

M. ABALOS
Representative
4Ps Partylist


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Batasan Hills, Quezon City

TWENTIETH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

104

HOUSE BILL NO.

Introduced by 4Ps Partylist Representative
JC M. ABALOS

AN ACT ENHANCING THE PANTAWID PAMILYANG PILIPINO PROGRAM
(4Ps), AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE SECTIONS 7, 10, 22 OF REPUBLIC ACT
NO. 11310, AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR

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

SECTION 1. Section 7 of Republic Act No. 11310 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:

(a) Conditional cash transfer grant per child enrolled in day care and
elementary programs shall not be lower than [Three hundred pesos (P
300.00)] FIVE HUNDRED PESOS (P500.00) per month per child for a
maximum of ten (10) months per year;

(b) Conditional cash transfer grant per child enrolled in junior high
school shall not be lower than [Five hundred pesos (P500.00)] SEVEN
HUNDRED PESOS (700.00) per month per child for a maximum of
ten (10) months per year;


(6) Conditional cash transfer grant per child enrolled in senior high
school shall not be lower than [Seven hundred pesos (P700.00)] NINE
HUNDRED PESOS (P900.00) per month per child for a maximum of
ten (10) months per year;

(d) Health [and nutrition] grant shall not be lower than [Seven
hundred fifty pesos (P750.00)] ONE THOUSAND AND EIGHT
HUNDRED PESOS (P1,800.00) per month for a maximum of twelve
(12) months per year;

(e) FOOD AND NUTRITION GRANT SHALL NOT BE LOWER
THAN SIX HUNDRED PESOS (P600.00) PER MONTH FOR A
MAXIMUM OF TWELVE (12) MONTHS PER YEAR.

SEC. 2. Paragraph 2 of Section 10 of the same Act is amended to read as
follows:

“The amounts indicated in Section 7 of this Act shall be made available
to the qualified household-beneficiaries during the first three (3) years of the
implementation of this Act: Provided, That every [six (6) years] YEAR after the
effectivity of this Act, the PIDS shall recommend to the NAC whether the
cash grants shall be adjusted to the present value using the consumer price
index, as published by the PSA: xxx”

SEC. 3. Section 22 of Republic Act No. 11310 is hereby amended as follows:

“SEC. 22. 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 Act] THE ANNUAL
APPROPRIATIONS OF THIS ACT SHALL NOT BE LESS THAN THE
TOTAL AMOUNT CORRESPONDING TO THE MAXIMUM
CONDITIONAL CASH GRANTS ENTITLED TO EACH HOUSEHOLD
BENEFICIARIES MULTIPLIED BY THE ACTUAL NUMBER OF ACTIVE
BENEFICIARIES AS DETERMINED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL
WELFARE AND DEVELOPMENT (DSWD) FOR THE FISCAL YEAR.

BUDGET FLOOR = (MAXIMUM ANNUAL CONDITIONAL CASH
GRANT PER BENEFICIARY HOUSEHOLD) « (NUMBER OF
ELIGIBLE HOUSEHOLD BENEFICIARIES)

THIS BUDGET FLOOR SHALL NOT PRECLUDE CONGRESS
FROM ALLOCATING A HIGHER AMOUNT FOR EXPANDING


SERVICES, ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS, OR PROGRAM INNOVATIONS
CONSISTENT WITH THE OBJECTIVE OF THE 4PS ACT.

SEC. 4. Separability Clause. — If for any reason, any provision of this Act is
held unconstitutional or invalid, the remaining provisions not affected thereby shall
continue to be in full force and effect.

SEC. 5. Repealing Clause. — All laws, decrees. executive orders,
proclamations, rules, regulations, and other issuances or parts thereof which are
inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed, amended, or
modified accordingly.

SEC. 6. Effectivity. — The Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its

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

Approved,