House aims to increase 4Ps cash aid for education, health, nutrition

THE House of Representatives is prioritizing the passage of a bill amending the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) to significantly increase monthly cash grants for education, healthcare, and nutrition. House Majority Leader Ferdinand Alexander “Sandro” A. Marcos reported that the House Committee on Appropriations is working to pass the measure for its budgetary requirements.

The proposed amendments include higher education subsidies, a near doubling of the health grant, and new cash support for food, nutrition, and children in their first 1,000 days of life. Monthly education assistance will rise to ₱500 for day care and elementary pupils, ₱700 for junior high school students, and ₱900 for senior high school students. The monthly health grant will increase from ₱750 to ₱1,800, with an additional ₱400 for children with disabilities. A Food and Nutrition Cash Grant of ₱1,100 per month and a First 1,000 Days (F1KD) cash grant of ₱400 per month for children aged zero to two are also introduced.

The measure mandates more frequent reviews of cash grant levels and program outcomes, shortening the assessment cycle from every six years to every three years. It also adds conditionalities requiring beneficiary households to complete government-accredited livelihood and skills training programs. Lawmakers said the strengthened 4Ps will help keep children in school, improve health and nutrition, and ease the daily financial burden on low-income families, aiming to reduce intergenerational poverty and build a healthier, more productive workforce.