ILOILO City — “Our programs are insulated from politics. Politicians cannot remove our beneficiaries,” declared Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Region 6 director Arwin Razo in response to reports of politicians threatening program beneficiaries with delistings if they do not support certain candidates.
Razo emphasized that DSWD is a non-political agency and that any threats to remove beneficiaries from DSWD programs for political reasons are unfounded.
“Only DSWD can delist you from our programs and projects, and removal can only be done for valid reasons,” he sttressed. “If you are threatened with removal because of not supporting a certain candidate, that is a lie. We do not do that. We remain non-political.”
DSWD received reports that some politicians have allegedly been spreading misinformation, telling beneficiaries they risk losing their assistance if they do not align politically.
Razo clarified that inclusion in the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) is based solely on the Listahanan database, which identifies eligible households in need and is managed without influence from local government units.
Similarly, the Social Pension Program has strict eligibility criteria, requiring recipients to be senior citizens aged 60 and above, frail, sickly, or disabled, with no pensions from other institutions, no permanent income, and lacking regular family support. Eligibility for the Sustainable Livelihood Program also hinges on assessment from the Listahanan database and a means test.
This is not the first time DSWD-6 has addressed political manipulation regarding its programs. In August 2024, former regional director Atty. Carmelo Nochete urged 4Ps beneficiaries not to believe politicians who threaten to remove them if they do not support specific candidates in the upcoming May 2025 midterm elections.
“That is a big lie,” Nochete said, explaining that DSWD alone can delist a 4Ps beneficiary, and only for valid reasons such as non-compliance with program conditions, improved economic status, or misconduct.
To receive 4Ps’ conditional cash grants, households must comply with specific conditions, including prenatal and postnatal care for pregnant women, attendance of family development sessions, regular health check-ups and vaccinations for children aged 0-5, deworming for children aged 6-14, and maintaining a minimum school attendance rate for children aged 3-18./PN