The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has recently announced the release of guidelines for the First 1,000 Days (F1KD) of Life conditional cash grant, a new component of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps). This initiative was highlighted in a statement made on Monday, marking a significant step towards enhancing the health and nutritional status of young children and pregnant women within the 4Ps community.
Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao of DSWD emphasized that the F1KD grant aims to foster better health-seeking behaviors among 4Ps beneficiaries. The program specifically targets the prevention of stunting and malnutrition in young children by providing financial support for essential health and nutrition needs during the critical first 1,000 days of a child’s life.
Dumlao reiterated the DSWD’s commitment to the Marcos administration’s efforts to combat hunger and improve the nutritional well-being of the nation’s most vulnerable populations. The F1KD grant, as outlined in DSWD’s Memorandum Circular No. 1 series of 2025, signed by Secretary Rex Gatchalian, will offer monthly health grants of PHP350 to eligible pregnant women and households with children aged 0 to 2 years.
To ensure the effectiveness of the F1KD grants, the program includes specific conditionalities that align with the Kalusugan at Nutrisyon ng Mag-Nanay Act and Department of Health (DOH) protocols. These conditions require beneficiaries to access pre-natal services, track pregnancy, receive ante-natal care, deliver at DOH-accredited facilities, attend post-natal visits, participate in counseling, and obtain necessary supplements and immunizations.
Compliance with these conditions will be monitored by health facilities, which will determine the eligibility of beneficiaries for the monthly cash grants. Special considerations are made for beneficiaries in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDAs), where compliance might be challenging. In such cases, health workers are tasked with ensuring that these beneficiaries still receive the necessary health and nutrition interventions, thereby maintaining their eligibility for the F1KD grants.
The implementation of the 4Ps F1KD program is set to begin this month, promising a new era of support for the health and well-being of the Philippines’ youngest and most vulnerable citizens.