WELFARE workers tasked to implement the government’s flagship anti-poverty and social service program defended the conditional cash transfer (CCT) and quashes the word “dole out†to describe the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4PS)
At a press conference at the Jjs Seafoods Village November 30, Angelita Genir, 4Ps Bohol Focal person argued that 4Ps is never a dole out pointing out that the 4Ps have conditions to be met.
“4Ps, the national government’s prime poverty reduction strategy, which provides cash grants to extremely poor households.â€
“This is to allow them to meet certain human development goals in exchange of conformity to the programs’ conditions,†a 4Ps brochure shared to the media states.
While a dole out is senseless giving of money, the 4Ps investment in human capital focuses primarily on health improvement through nutrition and children’s education.
A basic requirement for the 4Ps to be granted is for the household to have children aged 0-14 or a pregnant woman, adds Aileen Lariba, 4Ps Information Officer at the Department of Social Welfare and Development –7.
On the other hand, while a dole out does not discriminate on household beneficiaries, the 4Ps refer to the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) 2003 Small area Estimates to find its beneficiaries, Lariba explains through Powerpoint presentation.
Target beneficiaries, she added would be families whose economic conditions are below provincial poverty thresholds, with children aged between 0-14 years old or a pregnant woman and that these households agree to meet the conditions specified in the program or co-responsibilities.
For co-responsibilities, pregnant beneficiaries must religiously avail of pre-to-post natal care and would be attended by a skilled medical professional, while parents must regularly attend responsible parenthood sessions.
Young children are given regular preventive health check-ups and vaccines while school age kids and secondary schoolers must attend school classes at least 85% of the time.
Deworming pills are also given at least twice a year to kids aged 6-14.
In Bohol, 4Ps set 1 had 518 households in Danao town benefiting a total of P2.97 million which was directly given to the beneficiaries through cash cards, Lariba said.
Now on its set 3, thousands of Bohol’s poor households from 13 towns get similar benefits: monthly P500 nutrition allowance and P300 per school kid of three; or a sum of P1400 per month.
In fact, the government has assisted about a million households through the 4Ps, one that could go as high as 2.3 miilion households as soon as the additional P21 billion budget requested is passed, sources at DSWD said. (racPIABohol)
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