Eleven members of the House of Representatives have filed a bill granting minimum wage families a ₱1,000 monthly subsidy (or ₱12,000 yearly), delivered through a digital wallet linked to the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys), for households not already covered by the government’s Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).
House Bill 10648, called the Pambansang Agapay sa Pamilya at Maliliit na Negosyo (PAMANA) Act, was filed by Representatives Jude Acidre of Tingog party-list, Zia Adiong of Lanao del Sur, Joel Chua of Manila, Jannette Garin of Iloilo, Jefferson Khonghun of Zambales, Gerville Luistro of Batangas, Francisco Paolo Ortega of La Union, Terry Ridon of Bicol Saro party-list, Ramon Rodrigo Gutierrez of 1-Rider party-list, David Suarez of Quezon, and Ysabel Maria Zamora of San Juan City.
Eligible families would receive a PhilSys-linked digital wallet at no cost, and the P1,000 monthly assistance can only be spent at accredited micro, small, and medium enterprises, such as sari-sari stores, public market stalls, carinderias, neighborhood groceries, and pharmacies. Beneficiaries are capped at P200 in spending per day, with unused balances carried over to following days under the same daily limit. The funds cannot be withdrawn as cash, transferred to another account, or used for online gambling, alcohol, or tobacco.
The bill defines eligible families as those headed by a minimum wage earner, registered under PhilSys, and not already receiving 4Ps benefits. Self-employed and informal-sector workers earning at or below the regional minimum wage may also apply through their local social welfare and development offices.
“Many minimum wage earners report for work every day but still struggle to meet the cost of food, transportation, utilities, medicine, and other basic needs. PAMANA recognizes that having a job does not always mean having economic security,” said Jude Acidre, Representative of Tingog party-list. “This [bill] provides targeted assistance to working families who are not covered by 4Ps but continue to face serious financial pressure,” he added.
On the payment infrastructure, Francisco Paolo Ortega, Representative of La Union, said: “The subsidy is designed to benefit both the family receiving assistance and the small enterprise where it is spent. When a beneficiary buys from a sari-sari store, a market vendor, or a neighborhood food business, the assistance becomes income for a local entrepreneur and continues circulating within the community.”
Households without smartphones or reliable Internet access would receive alternative payment mechanisms, including QR-enabled cash cards and offline payment solutions, so eligibility would not depend on owning a smartphone.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) would administer the program in coordination with the Department of Trade and Industry, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, Department of Information and Communications Technology, Philippine Statistics Authority, and Department of Labor and Employment. DSWD would cross-match beneficiary records against the Listahanan and 4Ps databases to prevent duplicate assistance.
Joel Chua, Representative of Manila, said the digital-first design was intended to improve accountability: “Digital delivery allows the government to identify qualified beneficiaries, transfer assistance directly, and properly account for how public funds are used. PhilSys-linked wallets, accredited merchants, spending restrictions, and public reporting are intended to reduce leakage and ensure that the subsidy reaches its intended recipients.”
The bill’s authors estimate an annual budget requirement of P64 billion to P68 billion, which they say accounts for less than one percent of the proposed national budget for fiscal year 2026. A PAMANA Trust Fund would be established using incremental value-added tax collections from digital services and revenues under the mining fiscal regime to sustain the program.
House Bill 10648 has been filed and is pending committee action in the House of Representatives.
