Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino program starts in WV
Some 2,695 household beneficiaries in the province of Antique are now receiving their cash assistance from the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) of the national government.
Department of Social Welfare and Development 6 (DSWD 6) 4Ps Focal Person Asuncion Santiago said that Conditional Cash Transfers (CCTs) were already released to the 2,695, out of the 2,985 program beneficiaries from the municipality of San Remegio, Antique last December amounting to more than P7 million.
A total of 9, 133 poorest of the poor families in Antique coming from the municipalities of San Remegio, Lawaan, Valderrama, Barbaza and Bugasong stand to benefit from the program.
Household beneficiaries from the other four municipalities are set to receive their CTCs starting January 12.
These poor families were identified through a saturation household survey conducted by competent enumerators trained and supervised by the DSWD in the poorest barangays of the five municipalities.
Santiago said the household survey conducted in Iloilo City to find the 3,000 target poor families is now finished and up for validation.
“After the validation, we will start to release the CTCs, probably this first quarter of 2009”, said Santiago.
The DSWD implements the 4Ps considered one of the most important poverty reduction strategies of the Arroyo administration that provides cash assistance to extremely poor households as long as they comply with certain conditions set allowing members of the families to meet human development goals.
Among the conditions to be complied by the household members include children to attend school at least 85 percent of the time and get regular health check-up and vaccination and parents must attend responsible parenthood sessions, mother’s classes and parent effectiveness seminars.
Pregnant women must also get pre and post natal care and be attended to during childbirth by a skilled/trained health professional.
Under the program, household beneficiaries can receive as much as P1,400 subsidy per month or P15,000 annually for a maximum of three children that includes P500 per month for nutrition and health expenses and P300 per month per child for education expenses.
Press Secretary Jesus Dureza disclosed in a Malacanang report that President Arroyo had already allotted an additional P5 billion for the CCT.
“Yung Conditional Cash Transfer, naglaan ng additional P5 billion so DSWD can target more beneficiaries. Sisiguruhin natin ang pera na mapupunta sa poor and vulnerable. The government machinery is now gearing up to face the problems that we may face in 2009,” Dureza said. (PIA)