Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

‘TWENTIETH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bai No. 4522

Introduced by: Hon. Iris Marie D. Montes

AN ACT
ENSURING THE SELF-SUFFICIENCY OF 4Ps BENEFICIARIES, AMENDING CERTAIN
PROVISIONS OF REPUBLIC ACT NO. 11310, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE "PANTAWID
PAMILYANG PILIPINO PROGRAM (4PS) ACT”

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Section 9, Article II of the 1987 Philippine Constitution expressly provides that
“The State shall 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.”

Pursuant to this, Republic Act No. 11310 was enacted into law to institutionalize
the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) of the Department of Social Welfare and
Development - a government program that provides conditional cash grants to the
poorest of the poor.

This Program serves as a platform for eligible poor households to benefit from
other social protection programs through internal and external convergence such as
the National Health Insurance Program coverage by the Phillippine Health Insurance
Corporation, increased access to economic opportunities through employment
facilitation and micro-enterprise development through Sustainable Livelihood Program,
and entry into higher education institutions through the Students’ Grant-in-Aid
Program in partnernship with the Commission on Higher Education, Department of
Labor and Employment and State Universities and Colleges.

Through 4Ps, targeted household-beneficiaries benefited from improved
mothers’ access to maternal health by promoting pre-and post-natal care and
deliveries in health facilities; improved children’s health and access to health care
services particularly after availing of vitamin A, iron supplements, deworming pills and
undergoing regular weight monitoring in health care facilities; and better access to
education by keeping children in school particularly those who are most vulnerable to
drop out.

Recently, it was reported that the Department of Social Welfare and
Development (DSWD) is looking into the possible amendments to the 4Ps law to make
it more responsive after 17 years of implementation. In particular, the DSWD is


considering a “need-based” approach where beneficiaries should exit the program only
if their well-being is improved.

More resources, are also being recommended by the World Bank Group, to be
transferred to 4Ps beneficiaries given the depreciation of 4Ps grants due to inflation
and the increased vulnerability exacerbated by COVID-19 and subsequent shocks.?

In this light, this bill seeks to allow beneficiaries to continue in the program
beyond a maximum of seven years in order to ensure that they have achieved self-
sufficiency before exiting in the program. It also aims to transfer more resources to 4Ps
beneficiaries given the depreciation of 4Ps grants due to inflation.

The bill likewise incorporates provisions for tertiary education for children of 4Ps
beneficiaries and an after-care program for exiting or graduating members.

In view thereof, approval of this bill is earnestly sought.

rd ted
IRIS MARIE D. MONTES:
Kababainan Kabelicatan para sa Kapakanan
at Kaurioran ng Bayan (4K) Porylst

1 PSWD mulls amendments to 4Ps law, INQUIRER.net, August 08, 2025
(https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2093311/dswd-mulls-amendments-to-4ps-law)Accessed on 11
August 2025

2 “Strengthening the Philippines’ Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, Policy Note
(https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/099070524014030836/pdf/P181138-cSeeSfér-
02fa-43fe-a985-55bcb65c4742.pdf) Accessed on 11 August 2025


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

‘TWENTIETH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House BILL No, — 4922

Introduced by: Hon. Iris Marie D, Montes

AN ACT
ENSURING THE SELF-SUFFICIENCY OF 4Ps BENEFICIARIES, AMENDING CERTAIN
PROVISIONS OF REPUBLIC ACT NO. 11310, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE "PANTAWID
PAMILYANG PILIPINO PROGRAM (4PS) ACT"

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

SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Patuloy ang Pagtawid sa
Pamilyang Pilipino Act’.

SEC. 2. Section 4 of Republic Act (RA) No. 11310 is hereby amended to read as
follows:

“Section 4. The Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps). - The Pantawid
Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) is the national poverty reduction strategy and a
human capital investment program that provides conditional cash transfer to poor
households for a maximum period of seven (7) years, to improve the health, nutrition
and education aspect of their lives. PROVIDED, HOWEVER, THAT HOUSEHOLD-
BENEFICIARIES WHO ARE STILL POOR AFTER THE LAPSE OF THE MAXIMUM PERIOD,
AS DETERMINED BY THE LATEST ASSESSMENT USING THE ADOPTED STANDARDIZED
TARGETING SYSTEM, SHALL REMAIN IN THE PROGRAM FOR A MAXIMUM PERIOD OF
THREE (3) YEARS. The National Advisory Council (NAC) may recommend a longer
period under exceptional circumstances.”

SEC. 3. Section 6 of the Act is hereby amended to read as follows:

“Section 6. Eligible Beneficiaries. - Farmers, fisherfolks, homeless families,
indigenous peoples, those in the informal settler sector and those in geographically
isolated and disadvantaged areas including those in areas without electricity shall be
automatically included in the standardized targeting system to be conducted by the
DSWD: Provided, That to be eligible for the cash grants, households or families must
meet the following criteria:

(a) Classified as poor and near-poor based on the Standardized Targeting System
and the poverty threshold issued by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) at the
time of selection;

(b) Have members who are aged zero (0) to TWENTY TWO (22) [eighteen (18)]
years old or have members who are pregnant at the time of registration; and


(c) Willing to comply with the conditions specified by this Act.”
SEC. 4. Section 7 of the same Act is hereby amended to read as follows:

“Section 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 FIVE [Three] hundred pesos (P500.00) [(P300.00)]
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 SEVEN [Five] hundred pesos (P700.00) [(P500.00)] per month per child
for a maximum of ten (10) months per year;

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

(d) CONDITIONAL CASH TRANSFER GRANT PER CHILD ENROLLED IN TECHNICAL-
VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING OR HIGHER EDUCATION SHALL NOT BE
LOWER THAN NINE HUNDRED PESOS (P900.00) PER MONTH PER CHILD FOR A
MAXIMUM OF TEN (10) MONTHS PER YEAR; AND

(E) Health and nutrition grant shall not be lower than ONE THOUSAND [Seven
hundred fifty] pesos (P1,000.00) [(®750.00)] per month for a maximum of twelve (12)
months per year.

The health/nutrition grant component aims to promote healthy practices and
family development, improve the health nutritional status of pregnant and post-partum
mothers, infants and young children, and increase the use of health services by the
household-beneficiary. The health grant is a fixed amount and does not depend on the
number of members in the household.”

SEC. 5. Section 11 of the same Act is hereby amended to read as follows:

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

(a) Pregnant women must avail of pre-natal services, give birth in a health facility
attended by a skilled health professional, and receive post-partum care and post-natal
care for her newborn;

(b) Children zero (0) to five (5) years old must receive regular preventive health
and nutrition services including check-ups and vaccinations;

(c) Children one (1) to fourteen (14) years old must avail of deworming pills at least
twice a year;


(d) Children three (3) to four (4) years old must attend day care or pre-school
classes at least eighty-five percent (85%) of them time;

(e) Children five (5) to eighteen (18) years old must attend elementary or
secondary classes at least eighty-five percent (85%) of their time; [and]

(f) CHILDREN ENROLLED IN TECHNICAL-VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING
OR HIGHER EDUCATION MUST ATTEND CLASSES AT LEAST EIGHTY-FIVE PERCENT
(85%) OF THEIR TIME; AND

(G) At least one (1) responsible person must attend family development sessions
conducted by the DSWD, at least once a month.

Any or all of the conditions for entitlement may be suspended by the DSWD
Secretary during times of calamities, war and armed conflicts.”

SEC. 6. A new Section 14 is hereby inserted after Section 13 of the same Act to
read as follows:

“SEC. 14. AFTER-CARE PROGRAM FOR EXITING BENEFICIARIES. - THE DSWD
SHALL COLLABORATE WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT (DOLE),
THE DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT (DILG), AND OTHER
AGENCIES OF GOVERNMENT AND THE PRIVATE SECTOR IN THE PROVISION OF POST
SERVICES INTERVENTION THROUGH A PACKAGE OF SUPPORT SERVICES TO EXITING
AND GRADUATED HOUSEHOLDS, WHICH SHALL BE PROVIDED AS PART OF THE
SUSTAINABILITY PROGRAM FOR 4Ps BENEFICIARIES WITH THE AIM OF REDUCING
POVERTY AND VULNERABILITY.

THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH (DOH), DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION (DEPED),
COMMISSION ON HIGHER EDUCATION (CHED), TECHNICAL EDUCATION SKILLS AND
DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY (TESDA), DEPARTMENT OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY, AND
DOLE SHALL FACILITATE AND ADDRESS THE IDENTIFIED SUPPLY-SIDE GAPS AND
CONCERNS FOR HEALTH, NUTRITION, EDUCATION, LIVELIHOOD, AND EMPLOYMENT
IN A TIMELY MANNER TO ENABLE THE BENEFICIARIES SUSTAIN THE GAINS OF THE
PROGRAM. THEY SHALL DESIGN APPROPRIATE PROGRAMS, SERVICES AND
INTERVENTIONS TO VULNERABLE GROUPS AND SECTORS WITHIN THE 4PS SUCH AS,
BUT NOT LIMITED TO, WOMEN, PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES, INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
(IPS), ESPECIALLY THOSE IN GEOGRAPHICAL ISOLATED AND DISADVANTAGE AREAS.

ALL PROVINCES, CITIES, AND MUNICIPALITIES SHALL ENACT A COMPREHENSIVE
LOCAL SOCIAL PROTECTION ORDINANCE, WHICH SHALL MANDATE THE DELIVERY OF
ADEQUATE SOCIAL PROTECTION SERVICES FOR 4PS HOUSEHOLDS AFTER THEIR
GRADUATION FROM THE PROGRAM. THEY SHALL INCLUDE 4PS-RELATED PROGRAMS
AND ACTIVITIES IN THEIR BUDGET ALLOCATION THROUGH THE ANNUAL INVESTMENT
PLAN (AIP), COMPREHENSIVE DEVELOPMENT PLAN (CDP) AND/OR LOCAL POVERTY
REDUCTION ACTION PLAN (LPRAP) TO COMPLEMENT THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE
4PS PROGRAM.”

SEC. 7. Section 14 of the same Act is hereby renumbered as Section 15 and all
succeeding sections of the same Act are hereby renumbered accordingly.


SEC. 8. Appropriations. - The amount necessary to carry out the provisions of this
Act shall be included in the General Appropriations Act of the year following its
enactment into law and thereafter.

SEC. 9. Separability Clause. - Should any provision of this Act be found
unconstitutional by a court of law, such provision shall be severed from the remainder
of this Act, and such action shall not affect the enforceability of the remaining
provisions of this Act.

SEC. 10. Repealing Clause.— All laws, decrees, letters of instruction, resolutions,
orders or parts thereof which are inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are
hereby-repealed, modified or amended accordingly.

SEC. 11. Effectivity Clause.— 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,