Rowegie Abanto

Recipients of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps)from various cities in the National Capital Region receive their certificates from the Department of Social Welfare and Development during the ceremonial graduation at the Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay City on November 28, 2022. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File

Recipients of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps)from various cities in the National Capital Region receive their certificates from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) during the ceremonial graduation at the Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay City on November 28, 2022. At least 500 families are graduating from the government’s conditional cash grant which aims to assist the poor in improving health, nutrition, and education of children aged 0-18. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

CASH ASSISTANCE

Agatha Gregorio

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/175550390065920221128-pantawid-pamilya-graduation-JC4820.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" spellcheck="false" style="text-align:left">Recipients of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps)from various cities in the National Capital Region receive their certificates from the Department of Social Welfare and Development during the ceremonial graduation at the Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay City on November 28, 2022. <em>Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) Secretary Lope Santos III on Monday said the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) should be prioritized over the controversial Ayuda sa Kapos ang Kita Program (AKAP) as the former is for “long-term human development capital formation.”</p><p>This was Santos’ response to ACT Teachers Rep. Antonio Tinio, who asked during Monday’s House Committee on Poverty Alleviation meeting if AKAP should be continued.</p><p>“In our opinion, Madam Chair, I think we shall give priority to the 4Ps because 4Ps is for long-term human development capital formation. And at the same time, based on its conditionalities, it addresses health and education,” Santos added.</p><p>But for Presidential Adviser for Poverty Alleviation Larry Gadon, AKAP should still be implemented, taking into account the help people “trying to work and pay taxes” may need.</p><p>“I think the AKAP should be continued because we are helping those who are under the 4Ps. But how about those who are trying to work, pay taxes– those who are earning minimum wages, and in fact, even those in the informal sector who are earning below the minimum and still pay taxes?” Gadon asked.</p><p>“‘Pag nagkaproblema sila, ‘di mo tutulungan, pero ‘yung 4Ps, tutulungan mo who are not contributing to our taxes… Hindi naman puwede puro ‘yung 4Ps lang,” Gadon added.</p><p>Under the 2026 National Expenditure Program (NEP), <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2025/8/13/zero-funding-eyed-for-akap-in-2026-flood-control-to-get-p274-9-b-2026">AKAP is proposed to have zero funding</a>.</p><p>AKAP aims to give targeted social assistance to minimum wage and low-income earners affected by inflation, according to the DSWD.</p><p>Some had slammed the financial assistance program for allegedly being a form of pork barrel, with a senator saying this was not included in the president’s proposed spending plan.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2024/12/13/dswd-denies-p26-billion-akap-funds-is-pork-barrel-0952">DSWD denies P26 billion AKAP funds is pork barrel</a></div><p>Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Asec. Marites Maristela stressed that 4Ps, providing conditional cash transfer, is not primarily about “ayuda” or assistance, but rather, “human capital investment.”</p><p>The program served over 3.9 million households as of July 2025, with a physical target for the year of 4.4 million households.</p><p>Program goals include improving the health and nutrition of young children and mothers by promoting preventive health care, increasing the enrollment and attendance rate of children in child development centers (CDC), pre-school, elementary, and secondary schools, and raising the average consumption rate in food expenditure of poor households, according to the DSWD.</p><p>As 1.9 million beneficiaries are expected to exit the program next year, 4Ps Rep. JC Abalos stressed there is no complete list of new beneficiaries yet because data is lacking, and not because there are now fewer individuals in need.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>COMMUNITY-BASED MONITORING</strong></div><p>Abalos said he hopes data gathering under the Community-Based Monitoring System (CBMS) would be completed as soon as possible.</p><p>The president earlier ordered a census through the CBMS to update the list of 4Ps beneficiaries.</p><p>The CBMS covers socioeconomic conditions of Filipino households, “including income, expenditures, housing, education, employment, and access to basic services,” according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), which is in charge of the data.</p><p>The PSA said it will start transmitting CBMS data to the DSWD in September, with the CBMS Portal containing statistics to be launched on September 30.</p><p>House Committee on Poverty Alleviation Chairperson Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo also said the CBMS Act should be made a priority.</p><p>“Full implementation of the CBMS will enhance the accuracy and timeliness of data… For us, the faster and full implementation of the CBMS should therefore be made a priority,” Arroyo said.</p><p>The PSA is open to sharing CBMS data to agencies aside from the DSWD, according to PSA Community-Based Statistics Division Chief Patricia San Buenaventura.</p><p>This was her response to a question about when the PSA would share the aforementioned information with other agencies, such as the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Department of Health (DOH), and the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD), because all social protection services depend on CBMS data.</p><p>“Right now, we are having talks with the Department of Agriculture (DA) and I think OPAPRU (Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity) also. As to CHED, so far, we have not yet received a data request from CHED. So it’s by request po sa ngayon ‘yung ating sharing. We are open naman po to discuss with other national government agencies and other government units,” San Buenaventura said.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEOS</strong></div><div><br/></div><div><strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IhI8-1aNwDA?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-nbblhBew0w?&amp;t=206s&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><br/></div>

<p>National Anti-Poverty Commission Secretary Lope Santos III on Monday said the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) should be prioritized over the controversial Ayuda sa Kapos ang Kita Program (AKAP) as the former is for “long-term human development capital formation.”</p>

National Anti-Poverty Commission Secretary Lope Santos III on Monday said the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) should be prioritized over the controversial Ayuda sa Kapos ang Kita Program (AKAP) as the former is for “long-term human development capital formation.”

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Anti-poverty chief wants to prioritize 4Ps over AKAP

Agatha Gregorio,

ABS-CBN News

Published Aug 18, 2025 04:10 PM PHT

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