MAASIN CITY (PIA) -- The Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) will remain with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), even as DSWD will be devolved to the local government unit (LGU) by next year with the implementation of Mandanas ruling.

According to OIC Regional Director Grace Subong of DSWD-8, management of the government’s top anti-poverty program is retained by the agency but still in close coordination with the LGUs.

The DSWD regional chief was in the city last month to attend to the first batch of 4Ps members who had “graduated” from the program, in which 101 out of the city’s more than 2,000 Pantawid member-households were taken off the list after being assessed as having reached self-sufficiency level.

All over the region, there are around 286 thousand Pantawid member-households, and about 44,000 of them are scheduled to undergo graduation ceremonies, Subong said during an interview on the sidelines of her visit.

In a recent Panindugan virtual press conference, it was learned from Imelda Laceras, regional director of the Department of Budget and Management 8, that aside from DSWD, other national line agencies that are expected to shed some of their functions to LGUs due to the implementation of Mandanas ruling at the Supreme Court are the DOH, DA, DTI, DOLE, DOT, and DepEd.

Meanwhile, Subong announced that a listing of new 4Ps household members has been scheduled to be undertaken in September.

But she clarified that not all poor households can qualify for the program, such those with no qualified children and not pregnant.

Those not qualified can still avail of other pro-poor assistance extended by DSWD and the LGU, Subong also said. (LDL/MMP/PIA-8/Southern Leyte)