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Social Welfare and Development Secretary Erwin Tulfo said 1.3 million beneficiaries of its Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) or conditional cash transfer program have overcome poverty and should be removed from its list.

"It's good news, from the 4.4 million, 1.3 million should be removed because they already graduated. They are no longer considered as ‘poor’ so they are already there at the ‘non-poor’ section," he said during the "Laging Handa" public briefing on Thursday.

"Their life status has improved. Either both parents were already employed... the children already graduated senior high so they are no longer included, or the other child is already in college or one of their children became an OFW and can already help them, so that is the qualifications for you to be removed from the section of ‘poor’ to the ‘non-poor’," he added.

Tulfo said the 1.3 million beneficiaries were identified by the National Housing Targeting Office or NHTO, the personnel of the DSWD who conduct assessment through face-to-face interviews with the households.

He said based on their data there were a total of 15 million households identified as poor and only 4.4 of them were included in the 4Ps program .

Tulfo said the process of removing 1.3 million beneficiaries will take a few weeks because they will have to advise those who will be removed from the conditional cash transfer program of the government and that they will no longer receive the cash assistance in the coming months. Robina Asido/DMS