May 16, 2019

Senate of the Philippines

Roxas Boulevard, Pasay,
1300 Metro Manila

Re: Letter of Amendment and Clarification

Ladies and Gentlemen:

This letter is to amend and clarify certain provisions of the Social Welfare Policy in the
Philippines.
1. Amendment to Section 4 - Eligible Beneficiaries. In connection with the amendments and
clarifications, Section 4 shall be amended by adding the following to the criteria as it
presently appears:
1a. Extremely poor household will be provided with a job through Department of Labor
and Employment (DOLE) since providing social welfare will not be enough to aid their
poverty since this policy cannot be a lifetime treatment. (There are so many problems that
needs to solve and giving lifetime financial assistance is not a long-term solution.). Instead,
this policy would only teach an individual to be dependent to the government.
1b. Household with Person with Disability(PWD) member belonging to poor family
household. Since it will be hard to work with disability, the government must have an
agency that will give opportunities to those who have disabilities.

In recognition of the foregoing, the sentence of Section 5 as it presently appears shall be

amended by inserting the following parenthetical at the end thereof:

2. Amendment to Section 5. Program Grants. - Selected beneficiary households shall receive

cash grants for at least one of two components: health/nutrition and/ or education. (may
vary depending on what needed the most by the household)
The health/nutrition grant component aims to promote healthy practices and family
development, improve the nutritional status of young children, and increase the use of
health services by the beneficiary household. The health grant is a fixed amount and does
not depend on the numbers of the household. (The health grant will be added to the
PhilHealth account of the member depending on their selected grant.)
 The education grant component is given to a maximum of 3 children in the beneficiary
household, age 3 to 18 years old. In the event that the child is already above 18 years old but is
enrolled in or still wishes to continue his/her elementary or secondary education, he/she shall be
provided with the education gran until senior high school is completed. (The education grantees
that will received the grants will serve for the country for five consecutive years.)

and the Section 6 it presently appears shall be clarified by inserting the following at the end
thereof:
3. Clarification of Section 6. “Program Conditionalities”. Benificiary households must comply
with specific health and education conditionalities in order to continue receiving the cash
grants provided in Section 5 of this Act.
To continue availing of the grants the following requirements must be met:

a. Children who received education grants must be enrolled in a day care/ pre-school program
elementary or secondary school and maintain a class attendance rate of 85 percent per
month;(note that the education grantee will only enter public schools since they are incapable of
paying tuitions, facilities, and private academy necessities)

b. Children aged 0 to 6 years old must visit health centers to avail of health services as prescribed
by the Department of Education (DOH) (this is for the purpose of maintaining the children healthy
to lessen the burden in case they acquired disease)

e. All household grantees must attend Family Development Sessions (FDS) at least once a
month, and parents must render at least twelve hours of community service each month.
(Household Survey Assessment Tool will be conducted by the concerned agency every month.
This is to avoid the abuse of provision of financial assistance to household that are even capable
and has the means of helping an individual household.).

Very truly yours,

De Luna, Vince Joshua

Gallos, Iris Joy P.
Mañibo, Jean Paula May P.
Mueco, Michael