The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Monday said the Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey that showed a decrease in the number of “self-rated poor” families in April is an indication that the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) is on the right track.

“This is a good indicator that the government’s anti-poverty program is on the right track. This also shows the effectiveness of the 4Ps insofar as helping the poor attain the level of self-sufficiency while providing them with the necessary interventions to ensure that they will not slide back to poverty,” Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao said in a statement.

The 4Ps is the national government’s flagship program designed to break the intergenerational cycle of poverty by providing education and health grants to 4Ps household beneficiaries required to attend the monthly family development sessions (FDS).

“The latest SWS survey also shows that the Marcos Administration’s whole-of-nation approach to poverty alleviation is gaining traction,” the DSWD spokesperson said.

The SWS report said the 5-point decrease in the nationwide self-rated poverty was due to declines in Metro Manila and Mindanao, combined with steady scores in Balance Luzon (or Luzon outside Metro Manila) and the Visayas.

Dumlao added that the immediate disaster response was one of the reasons for the decline in poverty incidence based on the SWS survey conducted from April 23 to 28.

“Disasters exacerbate poverty. So, if their needs are immediately provided during typhoons, floods, and other calamities, the impact on the poor is cushioned and we prevent them from becoming poorer,” Dumlao said.

In earlier interviews, DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian said the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has been aggressive in ensuring that exiting or graduating 4Ps beneficiaries would not slide back to poverty through various interventions, including the conduct of nationwide job fairs and grants from the DSWD’s Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP).

As of April 30, 2025, a total of 860,471 household beneficiaries have exited from the 4Ps program after reaching an improved level of well-being.

These households were identified as self-sufficient according to the Social Welfare and Development Indicators (SWDI), making them eligible to exit the program on or before reaching the seven-year maximum stay.

The SWS April survey noted that the percentage of “not poor” families also rose to a record high of 42 percent from 32 percent in all areas.

Figures rose by 15 points from 45 percent to 60 percent in Metro Manila; 7 points from 44 percent to 51 percent in Balance Luzon; 3 points from 21 percent to 24 percent in the Visayas; and 13 points from 16 percent to 29 percent in Mindanao.

The same SWS survey also indicated that 8 percent of families rated themselves as borderline (a line dividing poor and not poor) — a new record low that surpassed the previous low of 11 percent in December 2024. (PNA)