ILOILO City – More than 117,000 poor households in Western Visayas have successfully exited the government’s flagship anti-poverty program, marking a significant milestone in the region’s efforts to move families toward long-term self-sufficiency, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said.
As of January 5, 2026, a total of 117,850 households in the region have either graduated from or exited the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) after meeting program benchmarks, DSWD Region 6 reported during a Kapihan sa Philippine Information Agency–Western Visayas forum on Tuesday, January 27.
DSWD-6 officer-in-charge regional director Joselito Estember welcomed the development as a positive indicator that beneficiary families are gaining stability beyond government assistance.
“We have 117,850 households that have already graduated from or exited the 4Ps program. This is good news for all of us,” Estember said.
Of the total, 71,431 households were classified as graduates, while 46,419 households exited the program. Estember explained that households are considered graduated or exited once they reach Level 3 or the self-sufficient level, or when there are no longer monitored children aged 18 years old and below in the household.
Graduated or exited households
* Iloilo – 54,883
* Capiz – 24,703
* Antique – 18,030
* Aklan – 15,286
* Guimaras – 4,948
Despite the large number of exits, DSWD emphasized that 4Ps support continues for thousands of families still needing assistance. As of December 2025, there were 151,801 active household-beneficiaries in Western Visayas continuing to receive conditional cash grants.
These active households account for 274,873 children enrolled from pre-school to senior high school.
Active 4Ps households
* Iloilo – 77,300
* Capiz – 25,187
* Antique – 21,885
* Aklan – 21,278
* Guimaras – 6,151
Monitored children
* Iloilo – 139,004
* Guimaras – 111,134
* Capiz – 43,882
* Antique – 41,778
* Aklan – 39,075
DSWD-6 also reported that P4.114 billion in cash grants had been disbursed under the 4Ps in Western Visayas as of December 31, 2025, distributed as follows:
* Iloilo – P2.093 billion
* Capiz – P687.74 million
* Antique – P583.37 million
* Aklan – P579.51 million
* Guimaras – P170.37 million
The 4Ps provides conditional cash assistance to the poorest households to improve health, nutrition, and education outcomes for children aged 0 to 18. To remain eligible, beneficiaries must comply with conditions such as regular health checkups and vaccinations for children, school enrollment with at least 85 percent monthly attendance, prenatal and postnatal care for pregnant women, attendance in family development sessions, and biannual deworming for children aged 6 to 14./PN
