THE DEPARTMENT of Social Welfare and Development XI expanded the health cash grant for Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) beneficiaries to combat child stunting.
The First 1,000 Days or F1KD cash grant is an additional financial assistance program under 4Ps providing extra support to beneficiaries on top of the benefits they already enjoy.
“The cash grant will focus on the nutrition expenses for the first 1000 days of the child beneficiary which is a critical period of a child’s life,” Margie Cabido-Sobretodo, DSWD XI 4Ps Division chief, said during the Kapihan sa Dabaw on Monday.
Active and registered members of a 4Ps household who are pregnant and have children aged 0-2 are qualified to receive P350 a month. The amount is on top of the P750 per month that every household receives for the health grant under 4Ps.
Sobretodo said every household receives P3,500-P3,800 depending on the age and grade level of the children. DSWD XI is targeting 6,970 households out of 262,000 total 4Ps beneficiaries in the region.
She stressed that to ensure the continued eligibility of beneficiaries, expectant mothers must have complete prenatal check-ups and children should undergo regular check-ups. Monitoring and surveillance will be conducted two months after the implementation.
Households in the 4Ps program with a pregnant member and a new household member aged 0-2 years old are required to report to their City/Municipal Link and submit a Beneficiary Updating System (BUS) Form 5 at the nearest 4Ps office.
This along with a certificate of live birth of the 0-2 years old to be included in the household roster and a medical certificate for the pregnant member.
A local civil registry can be used as a substitute in case of loss of birth certificate. Meanwhile, a health certificate from the rural health unit can be used as a substitute for a medical certificate.
The cash grant is in line with the RA 11148 or the “Kalusugan at Nutrisyon ng Mag-Nanay Act”, An Act Scaling Up the National and Local Health and Nutrition Programs through a Strengthened Integrated Strategy for Maternal, Neonatal, Child Health, and Nutrition in the First One Thousand (1,000) Days of Life, Appropriating Funds therefore and for Other Purposes.
DSWD also cited the 2020 IE Wave 3 result, where the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) strongly recommended strengthening the 4Ps Program aspects that influence the first 1000 days of life to promote better health among pregnant women and young children.
The program fully supports the Philippine Plan of Action on Nutrition (PPAN) to reduce child stunting by at least 17.9 percent in 2028.
