Senator Ping Lacson seeks to harmonize the government’s social protection programs while penalizing political exploitation of such programs, under a bill expanding the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).
Lacson noted that while social protection programs and “ayudas” are crucial to address inequality and poverty such as in the case of 4Ps which ranks among the world’s best in targeting the poor, many newly created provisional programs have been criticized as becoming tools of political patronage.
“Ayuda, misappropriated as instruments of patronage, has been wrongly construed to come from politicians’ pockets rather than from the tax and non-tax revenues of our nation.”
“With the unprecedented expansion of ayuda programs, critics have branded us the moniker ‘ayuda nation’ … Pressing concerns have been raised regarding the potential of various dole-outs to foster dependency and, even worse, serve as a political tool that promotes the entrenchment of the culture of mendicancy. Ayuda, misappropriated as instruments of patronage, has been wrongly construed to come from politicians’ pockets rather than from the tax and non-tax revenues of our nation,” the veteran legislator said in his Senate bill titled “Expanded Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) Act of 2025,” which amends Republic Act 11310.
“The ever-changing landscape for social protection has created overlaps, duplication, and fragmentation… These overlaps and duplications breed potential for misuse, fraud, or errors to the disadvantage of the target poor and marginalized beneficiaries,” the seasoned lawmaker added.
Worse, the senator said the middle-income class who are equally vulnerable to risks and economic shocks, lack adequate protection and inclusion in risk insurance programs of the government.
He said such lack of access to and the restrictive nature of social protection programs for the middle class make them more vulnerable to shocks, and increases the risk of pushing them below the poverty threshold.
“This bill hence seeks to expand the 4Ps law to ensure a coherent, unified, and harmonized national strategy for all social protection programs and ayuda.”
“Government resources are limited. Hence, prudence, efficiency, and responsiveness are crucial to ensure delivery of social protection within our means and on the right priorities. This bill hence seeks to expand the 4Ps law to ensure a coherent, unified, and harmonized national strategy for all social protection programs and ayuda,” Lacson added.
His bill creates “Pantawid Pag-asa” under the framework of the 4Ps for the convergence of social protection programs across various government agencies and instrumentalities. It is distinct but complementary to the regular conditional cash transfer programs implemented under the existing law.
Social amelioration programs or “ayudas” namely AKAP (Ayuda sa Kapos ang Kita Program), AICS (Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation), TUPAD (Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged Workers), and Food STAMP shall be consolidated under the Pantawid Pag-Asa.
Pantawid Pag-Asa will serve as a rationalized support program of 4Ps providing financial assistance to persons and households – whether classified as poor or not – who experience financial hardship because of crises, loss of income, and other emergencies which limit them to meet their basic needs.
It guarantees stricter measures against fraud, duplication, and abuse with the standardized social protection database, which contains vetted and comprehensive ayuda programs and all their beneficiaries. This is crucial for the unified targeting system and monitoring measures for all social protection programs.
Lacson’s bill also penalizes political exploitation and manipulation of the programs in any shape or form, and puts in place institutional support to ensure proper implementation, monitoring and evaluation.
Those involved in political exploitation and manipulation of the assistance provided under Pantawid Pag-Asa will suffer perpetual absolute disqualification from holding public office.
“By institutionalizing evidence-based planning and development of programs, we will maximize benefits for the poor and eradicate political opportunism in the distribution of social protection programs. Fundamentally, we will minimize wastage of resources by ensuring that only those who are deserving benefit from social protection programs,” he said.
“For the government to steer the country into social and economic transformation, our progress shall be attributed to strategic, complementary, and coherent social protection programs that effectively and sustainably strengthen the capabilities of Filipinos,” Lacson concluded.
