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Bangon Pamilyang Pilipino Assistance Program Act: Majority Leader Joel Villanueva says he is one with the President in his goal to reduce poverty incidence by six and eight percent by 2028. Villanueva said records from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed that as of the first half of 2023, around 25.24 million Filipinos are still living in poverty. He said government programs such as the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) had shown positive impact on household welfare. The program had significantly increase household per capita income and lessen the number of households experiencing hunger, among others. However, Villanueva said the country continues to face various challenges while working on a post-pandemic recovery. During the public hearing conducted by the Committee on Social Justice, Welfare and Rural Development Tuesday, April 23, 2024, Villanueva sought the opinions of experts on a bill he proposed which aims to introduce a cash assistance intervention to ease the burden of Filipinos who are still reeling from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the proposed measure, the assistance could also be tapped during national emergencies. (Bibo Nueva España/Senate PRIB)