MANILA — The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) reported on Saturday that the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) of the government has improved the well-being of beneficiaries.
“There were impact evaluation studies conducted to prove that it has gained traction. Mayroon siyang significant contribution in improving the level of well-being of the beneficiaries,” DSWD Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao said in a news forum in Quezon City on Saturday.
One of the significant improvements that 4Ps brought to the lives of beneficiaries, Dumlao said, is that children are encouraged to go to schools regularly, increasing the attendance rate in schools.
She the program’s Family Development Session (FDS) has also improved the behavior of children and their families.
“Iyon po talaga ang isa sa nakakatulong para mas mapabuti ng ating mga magulang o parent beneficiaries iyong kanilang tungkulin bilang mga magulang and duty bearers. That really helps in also improving iyon pong behavior ng kanilang mga anak,” she added.
Dumlao made the remarks after President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. approved DSWD’s proposal to expand the scope of 4Ps to include pregnant and lactating women to ensure health of children in their first 1,000 days.
She said the expansion will involve monitoring of the health of expectant mothers and their babies until the age of two, which was not part of the current 4Ps program.
“Sa current design kasi ng program, hindi natin minu-monitor iyong zero to two – iyon lamang pong attendance noong mga enrolled in daycare centers, three to five years old dapat nasa daycare, dapat nasa elementary, dapat nasa junior high school, nasa senior high school but iyong zero to two kasi, hindi po sila talaga monitored,” Dumlao said.
“Ito iyong talagang ikinatutuwa ng DSWD because we are really able to promote iyong health-seeking behaviors for pregnant women and zero to two [children] na bigyan din nila ng importansiya iyong sa first one thousand days,” she added.
For its successful implementation, Dumlao said President Marcos ordered the DSWD and the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) to outline the budget needed for the expansion and come up with the necessary requirements.
According to the latest data of Pamilya Information System as of May 31, 2024, there are more than 28,000 pregnant women and over 108,000 zero to two years old children being monitored by DSWD.
They are existing household beneficiaries but with members that are either pregnant or children ages zero to two years old. (PND)
