00:00 Meanwhile, a judge suspended the removal of more than 1 million poor families as beneficiaries of the four-piece program.
00:08 The DSWD assured that the delisting and selection of four-piece beneficiaries is in accordance with the process.
00:16 Ryan Lesigas has the following report.
00:20 The House Committee on Poverty Alleviation called on the DSWD to suspend the delisting of more than 1.3 million poor families
00:30 from the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program or Four-Piece.
00:33 One-Pac-Man representative Mikey Romero said that the families to be removed from the program should be assessed properly,
00:41 even if the families are to be replaced.
00:43 According to the judge, the DSWD should ensure that the beneficiaries are already in poverty before they are removed from the program.
00:53 The suspension of the delisting will not affect the families because the agency has enough funds for the program.
01:00 In the budget hearing of the DSWD in Congress, the judge also approved the sudden removal of some four-piece beneficiaries.
01:10 But the DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian immediately defended the decision.
01:15 What was the process of the removal of the four-piece beneficiaries?
01:18 There were reports that there was sudden removal, there was no preparation for the beneficiaries,
01:26 for the so-called graduation, and there was a surprise.
01:30 It wasn't haphazardly done by anybody. It was done according to the process.
01:35 As of now, the DSWD is implementing a moratorium on the delisting of four-piece beneficiaries
01:41 until the assessment of the 1.4 million poor families is completed.
01:47 Gatchalian also said that there are families who are in poverty after the COVID-19 outbreak.
01:55 The picture of poverty is different. That's why we should revisit them.
02:00 We have managed that process and come May of this year, unfortunately, they are still a big chunk.
02:06 Close to 55 percent of those are coming out as non-poor.
02:12 Despite the fact that we have revisited them, we used the proxy means test again, we still haven't captured.
02:20 On the ground, the regional directors are saying that this person is still poor.
02:24 In September, the assessment of the DSWD is expected to be completed.
02:30 Ryan Lisigues, for the nation.
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