MANILA — The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Friday led the over-the-counter payment of the Unconditional Cash Transfer (UCT) to Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) beneficiaries who do not have cash cards.
In his message before the payout, DSWD Officer-in-Charge Emmanuel Leyco said they decided to give the entire 12 months of UCT cash grants in a “one-time” payout for beneficiaries identified under the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law.
“Today, we are completing the distribution of PHP2,400 to 4.4 million households who belong to the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program,” Leyco said during the event held at the Marcela Agoncillo Elementary School in San Nicolas, Binondo, Manila.
Aside from the one-time payout, he said the beneficiaries would also get the regular cash grants given under the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) program of the DSWD.
During the ceremony, a total of 51 4Ps beneficiaries in the area received the cash grants.
The beneficiaries are former homeless street families in the area who have been receiving assistance under the Modified Conditional Cash Transfer (MCCT) scheme of 4Ps.
The partner of the cash grant program, Smart-Natco, allowed the public to witness how the payout was given to beneficiaries as they presented their identification cards during a verification process until they received the cash.
Leyco said the payout also signals the start of the payout activity on April 24 for the 2.6 million 4Ps beneficiaries who do not have Landbank cash cards.
Last March, 1.8 million 4Ps beneficiaries began to receive their UCT cash grants through their Landbank ATM accounts.
Under the TRAIN Law, a total of 10 million poor were identified as recipients of the UCT to ease the financial burden caused by the imposition of taxes on certain products that may affect consumers and the purchasing power of the poor.
The subsidy amounts to PHP2,400 (PHP200 per month) in 2018 and a total of PHP3,600 (PHP300 per month) in 2019 and in 2020.
The UCT is an additional assistance for the 4Ps beneficiaries, aside from their regular cash grant and PHP600 rice subsidy.