The House Committee on Poverty Alleviation, chaired by Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, approved the substitute bill titled “Patuloy ang Pagtawid sa Pamilyang Pilipino Act,” which consolidates several measures seeking to strengthen and expand the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).
The TWG, headed by 4K Party-list Representative Iris Marie Montes, discussed the draft substitute bill to House Bills (HBs) 326, 1040, 1434, 2789, 3323, 3450, 3507, 4522, 4900, 5093, 5854, and 6734, which propose amendments to Republic Act No. 11310, or the 4Ps Act.
“We deliberated on the appropriate duration for providing assistance to qualified beneficiaries, including whether the assistance period may be extended instead of limiting the program to a fixed seven-year term.”
The panel deliberated on the appropriate duration for providing assistance to qualified beneficiaries, including whether the assistance period may be extended instead of limiting the program to a fixed seven-year term.
Members also discussed a provision allowing the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to determine the duration of conditional cash transfers based on the Social Welfare and Development Indicator (SWDI) and other government-adopted assessment tools.
4Ps Party-list Representative JC Abalos, author of HB 1040, pushed for the inclusion of a system that would support the tertiary education and employment of 4Ps beneficiaries, noting in the bill’s explanatory note that some beneficiary families “choose not to continue their children’s education but instead encourage them to enter the workforce”.
“I proposed that tax deductions be made available to entities that will hire qualified 4Ps beneficiaries.”
Abalos also proposed that tax deductions be made available to entities that will hire qualified 4Ps beneficiaries.
The discussions likewise touched on employment accommodation; guidelines aimed at ensuring that beneficiaries become self-sufficient; educational assistance; the establishment of a comprehensive beneficiary tracking database or portal; the proposed enrollment of beneficiaries in the Social Security System (SSS); and transition and post-service interventions for existing beneficiaries.
Other House members who participated in the TWG meeting were Davao Oriental Representative Cheeno Miguel Almario, Party-list Representative Nathaniel Oducado, and Sultan Kudarat Representative Bella Vanessa Suansing.
