World Bank Cites CCT Program
By Edu Lopez
March 1, 2013, 5:14pm
The government's conditional cash transfer (CCT) program is on track to
achieve its objectives of promoting investments in the health and
education of children while providing immediate financial support to
poor families.
These are the main findings of the recently completed assessment of the
CCT – the first in a series of evaluations being done on the program –
by the World Bank in a public forum held in Quezon City led by the
Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) with support from
the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) and the
Asian Development Bank (ADB).
Titled "Philippines Conditional Cash Transfer Program, Impact Evaluation
2012," the report confirms that children of Pantawid Pamilya
beneficiaries are enrolling and attending schools, with improved health
due to regular visits to health stations, and pregnant mothers getting
proper care.
Junko Onishi, World Bank's social protection specialist, said Pantawid
Pamilya has contributed to reduction in the severe stunting among poor
children 6-36 months of age in Pantawid barangays.
Stunting in the first two years of life is known to cause irreversible
damage later in life including lower educational attainment, reduced
adult income, and decreased offspring birth weight. The reduction in
severe stunting among poor children at this age will have long-term
benefits, Ms. Onishi said.
"This reduction in severe stunting indicates that CCT is enabling
families to better care for their children," said Ms. Onishi, who
presented the highlights of the impact evaluation during a forum.
"More parents in Pantawid barangays are feeding their children with
high-protein food including eggs and fish, leading to improved
nutritional status."
"Poor households under the program spend 38 percent more in education
per capita and 34 percent more on medical expenses per capita than their
non-Pantawid counterparts. This trend indicates a shift in the spending
pattern among CCT beneficiaries towards greater investments in health
and education of their children," said Nazmul Chaudhury, World Bank's
country sector coordinator for human development, and one of the authors
of the report.
The study recommends that coordination among health service providers
needs to be strengthened to ensure that beneficiary mothers and children
get the services they require and to ensure continuity of care.
It also suggested exploring the possibility of extending coverage from
the current five years, increasing the grant amount for older children,
and improving school facilities and services.
The impact evaluation study was funded by the World Bank and the
Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID). The study was
led by the World Bank and the Department of Social Welfare and
Development (DSWD), in coordination with AusAID and the Asian
Development Bank (ADB).
"I am pleased to know that the children of poor families are indeed
enjoying better and improving access to education and better health
services through Pantawid Pamilya," said DSWD Sec.Corazon Juliano-Soliman.
"Along with other government programs aimed to reduce poverty, Pantawid
Pamilya ensures that no one gets left behind in terms achieving holistic
and inclusive growth."
The assessment was based on the analysis of 1,418 poor households
eligible for the program from a survey covering 3,742 households in the
provinces of Lanao del Norte, Mountain Province, Negros Occidental, and
Occidental Mindoro. There are more than 3 million poor families with
more than 6 million children benefitting from the program.
Pantawid Pamilya provides cash grants to poor households to encourage
them to keep their children age 0-14 in school and have regular health
checks.
Pregnant mothers are required to avail of proper medical care and their
deliveries attended to by health professionals. Mothers are also
required to attend family development sessions where they discuss topics
on parenting and accessing social services in the community. (EHL)
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