DSWD to 4Ps beneficiaries: Examine closely the candidates’ promises to institutionalize 4Ps

(Photo courtesy of PCDSPO and the Official Gazette).

MANILA—Beneficiaries of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) should examine closely the promises and track of records of politicians supporting the call for its “institutionalization”.

This call was made by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in the midst of the promises of support politicians to back-up the “institutionalization” of the policy into a law if they will be elected or win in the May 2016 local and national elections.

“Ang aking pakiusap sa mga partner beneficiaries (belonging to 4Ps or Conditional Cash Transfer)—suriin lahat ng mga nangangangako,” said DSWD Secretary Corazon J. Soliman,” during a query of the media in a press briefing held at DSWD Central Office Brgy. Batasan, Quezon City Friday.

Soliman added that it was important that partner beneficiaries should also examine the “intentions” of candidates like those saying that they would “change” the current list of beneficiaries.

Soliman added that changing the current list might lead to reverting back to the “old system” wherein the governors, mayors, congressmen, barangay captains could influence those who would be included in a particular program.

She said that the current list of partner beneficiaries obtained through the “Listahanan” (formerly known as National Household Targetting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTS-PR) had more clear basis of finding who were the poor and near poor in the country.

She further said that partner beneficiaries should also scrutinize how would the candidates implement the program wherein the basis should also be on the current principles and objectives, which is basically to ensure that children are in school and healthy while also improving the awareness of partner beneficiaries on matters affecting them.

These objectives –keeping the children in school and healthy while improving the attitudes and behaviors of parents were the ones acknowledge by World Bank and Asian Development Bank.

The reason for keeping the children in school and health is to ensure that the children will finish their high school and become more competitive and be able to contribute to the economic development as they can be included in the economic workforce that may contribute to economic development.

She also mentioned that Vice President Jejomar Binay’s previous pronouncement that he would add senior citizens to the beneficiaries in case he wins, may create sort of confusion to the real intention of the program.

“Baka ho nakalimutan ni Vice President Binay na meron na tayong Social Pension Fund Program para sa mga senior citizens,” the DSWD chief reminded.

Under the Social Pension Program, the DSWD provides Php 500 cash for indigent senior citizens who are 60 years old and above.

She also added that while there was nothing wrong with the intention of adding other beneficiaries, it should be clear that the set of beneficiaries would not become a sort of “mixtures”.

She said that mixing the beneficiaries might not fulfill the 4Ps aim the way it should be.

At present the poor households benefiting under the program usually composed of mothers with children 0 to 18 years old.

They were being provided with monthly cash grants as they fulfill the requirements or conditions to stay in the program.

The mothers are required to visit the health centers for regular check-up, to vaccinate their children, receive deworming tablets as a way of improving their health-seeking behavior and to ensure that they are healthy as an investment on the health.

The children on the other hand are also kept in school to be sure that they can finish their studies instead of becoming bystanders.

As another conditions parents beneficiaries are required to attend family development sessions (FDS) to help improve their mindset and attitudes to convince them that they can take part in attaining the self-sufficiency level.

As she ended up she said that it is important that partner beneficiaries should look at the track records and determine who among the candidates who have clear understanding on the objectives of 4Ps and possessing at the same time the experiences in making the program a success.