4P’s cash assistance goes directly to intended beneficiaries – DSWD
The cash assistance under the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4 P’s) goes directly to intended beneficiaries as the latter themselves get the money through an ATM account at the Land Bank of the Philippines.
Social Welfare and Development 6 Officer Ms. Asuncion Santiago, said in a radio interview, that this sets the 4 P’s from the other anti-poor programs of the government, where government assistance go directly to the qualified poorest of the poor who get cash for health and nutrition and education assistance.
DSWD 6 said in Western Visayas the program covers the poorest barangays and about 9,133 beneficiaries in San Remegio, Lawaan, Valderama, barbaza ad Bugasong in Antique. It also includes some 3,000 poor families in Iloilo City.
Those in Antique, Asuncion said, had already started receiving he cash assistance December last year. The cash assistance will go on for five years.
Asuncion said this program is not vulnerable to political intervention because it is solely the DSWD which is implements the program, while the local government units simply assist.
Asuncion said that the poor families were identified through a saturation survey conducted by competent enumerators trained and supervised by the DSWD.
The program directly benefits pregnant women and children from 0-15 years old.
Asuncion said to ensure that the cash assistance is used as intended, the recipient-families sign an oath of commitment with conditions to be complied, like pregnant women in the households must get pre and post natal care and be attended to during childbirth by a trained/skilled professional.
Children from 0-5 years must have health check ups, require vaccinations; children at 3-5 years old must attend Day Care and Pre-school with at least 85 percent participation; children 6-15 should have health care and enrolled in school with at least 85 percent participation; and, parents should attend Parent Education Seminar, Mothers’ classes and others.
“Families show receipts for what they spent the money on. Otherwise, if found that they have not complied, they can be disqualified,” Asunsion said.
DSWD said that a family with three children can receive a maximum of P1,400 a month for five years.
The DSWD said that the 4P’s is the Arroyo government program which aims at breaking the poverty cycle attributed to high malnutrition rate and low schooling as basic reference. (ESS/PIA6)