THE Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said around 1.3 million beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) will be removed from the list as they are no longer considered “poor.”Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles said that during the third Cabinet meeting presided over by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Tuesday, July 19, 2022, DSWD Secretary Erwin Tulfo reported that they are currently revalidating the list of 4P beneficiaries.“Of note is Sec. Erwin Tulfo’s declaration that in the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, at least 1.3 million beneficiaries out of 4.4 million are no longer considered ‘poor’ as a qualification for the 4Ps benefits,” Angeles said.“This frees up P15B for other qualified persons to replace them and now be included in the 4Ps program,” she added.The 4Ps is a conditional cash transfer program of the government that helps the poorest of the poor families in the country especially to improve the health, nutrition and education of children aged 0-18.It also helps the Philippine government fulfill its commitment to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), specifically in eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, in achieving universal primary education, in promoting gender equality, in reducing child mortality, and in improving maternal health care.The DSWD is the lead government agency of the 4Ps. (SunStar Philippines)