THE House Committee on Poverty Alleviation chaired by 1PACMAN Party-list Representative Mikee Romero was able to get an assurance from the Department of Social Welfare and Development for the reinstatement of some 700,000 families in the Pantawid PamilyaRrTRRng Pilipino Program (4Ps).

According to Romero, aside from reinstating these delisted beneficiaries, they will also get paid retroactively since the period they were removed.

In the last two meetings of the committee, Romero said it was unanimously agree that the DSWD must ensure the immediate release of the funds to the said families and to the rest of the 3.2 million current beneficiaries.

They proposed the distribution of cash assistance during the on-going Christmas season.

Romero said they want the DSWD to deliver to the delisted families the total monthly cash assistance that accumulated since their names were scrapped.

Reports revealed that the DSWD stopped payment of the conditional cash transfer benefit as early as the start of 2023.

While 3.2 million households have consistently received their cash grants, the more than 700,000 delisted families were denied the same benefits after being evaluated by the DSWD as “non-poor”, among other reasons.

Romero is convinced that the delisted families have not yet crossed the line of indigent status and must remain in the 4Ps.

“This legislative effort is a Christmas gift we intend to give our kababayans,

We hope the DSWD makes it even more perfect by expediting distribution,” the House leader said.

In reaction, the Samahan ng Nagkakaisang Pamilya ng Pantawid (SNPP), a nationwide organization of 4Ps parent leaders and beneficiaries, lauded the sincere efforts of Romero and the rest of the committee members in swiftly responding to the concerns of the poor.

During a committee meeting, DSWD representatives reported that a revalidation process has been conducted to determine whether or not the benefits of the delisted families should be restored.

The DSWD officials also agreed that upon their reinstatement, the beneficiaries must receive the total amount of benefits previously denied them.