An additional 40,559 indigent families in Western Visayas will be admitted to the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) this year.

Belen Gebusion, chief of the Pantawid Pamilya Pilipino Program Division of the Department of Social Welfare and Development in Western Visayas (DSWD-6) said this was after the region’s share for 4Ps has been increased to 345,919 households this year.

The DSWD has delisted 18,203 out of the 94,214 households that were cited to be non-poor after the validation of the result of the Listahanan 3 or the 3rd version of the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction, an information system that identifies indigent households.

The remaining households were recommended for retention and the result is expected before the end of this month.  “Maybe this is good news for some of the households who have been requesting to be included in the program, but unfortunately, not all of them can be included,” Gebusion said yesterday.

She said 81,869 families have been identified as potentially eligible beneficiaries in the Listahanan 3 but only 40,559 will be included in the first batch.

“The remaining will be filled in if there are households that will exit between April and December,” she added.

Households with three children who are all enrolled were top priority.

Gabusion said they are just waiting for the final approval of the list, which is expected by April 15.

Last year, a total of 12,949 families in Western Visayas graduated from 4Ps after being assessed to be able to financially stand on their own feet.

Eligible households to be admitted to the 4Ps should have a pregnant member, studying children, or members aged zero to 18 years, and willingness to comply with the program’s rules.

Beneficiaries of the 4Ps also include farmers, fisherfolk, homeless families, indigenous peoples, those in the informal settler sector, and those in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas, including those in areas without electricity. (PNA)