DSWD plans inflation-based cash grant adjustments for 4Ps

On Saturday, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) announced plans to adjust cash grants for its conditional cash transfer program in response to inflation.

The adjustments will be based on parameters determined by the National Economic and Development Authority and the Philippine Institute for Development Studies, with DSWD targeting distribution of adjusted grants under the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) in 2025.

DSWD Assistant Secretary JC Marquez said the agency is prioritizing this year the development of a proposal to increase cash grants, emphasizing that discussions are ongoing and will be coordinated with NEDA, PSA, and PIDS.

Inflation in the Philippines rose to 3.9% in May, affecting the purchasing power of beneficiaries under the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), which currently supports over 4.4 million households nationwide.

DSWD aims to ensure that beneficiaries can still meet their needs despite inflation and economic challenges, with officials fast-tracking discussions on implementing adjusted cash grants to support more than 4.4 million households with a budget of PHP106.335 billion for 700,000 self-sufficient households.