MANILA — The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Tuesday said some 761,000 families who were supposed to be delisted from the government's Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) would have to be retained under the conditional cash grant system.

Of the 1.1 million households due for graduation from the 4Ps, only 339,660 managed to rise from poverty, said DSWD spokesperson Edu Punay.

The poverty threshold in 2021, the latest from the Philippine Statistics Authority, was a monthly family income of P12,030.

"Mayroon po tayong 761,150 na beneficiaries ang mare-retain sa 4Ps program," Punay told state television PTV.

"Sa assessment po, nakita po ng ating departamento na sila po ay mahirap pa rin at nangangailangan pa din ng assistance under the 4Ps program," he said.

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He said that most of those retained slipped back into poverty because of the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Under the 4Ps, the government provides health and education grants for up to 3 children in every family that has been verified to be living below the poverty line.

The DSWD earlier conducted a re-assessment for some 1.1 million beneficiaries after DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian was appointed to head the department.

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4Ps graduates will get livelihood packages

Those who graduated from the program will be referred to local government units to ensure that they would receive sustainable livelihood packages after graduating from the 4Ps, he said.

"Ito yung mga na-assess natin na hindi na talaga mahihirap," Punay said.

Inflation — the rate that prices increase — was at 6.1 percent in September, according to the PSA. This was up from the 5.3 percent recorded in August.

Inflation for the bottom 30 percent of households was at 6.9 percent in the same period.

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