Government Program: Benefits for Filipino mothers, children
Published: July 19, 2013
Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), the Philippines' Conditional
Cash Transfer (CCT) program, has been cited by the Asian Development
Bank (ADB), for reaching 3,912,718 Filipino household-beneficiaries in
1,605 cities and towns in 79 provinces nationwide as of May, 2013. The
program is targeting to reach 5.2 million families by 2015.
The ADB report said the program has been successful at helping the poor.
An evaluation of the program released on March 4, 2013, reported
increased preschool, elementary, and high school enrollments among poor
families, with beneficiary households spending more on health and
education. More beneficiary women attend prenatal and postnatal care and
beneficiary children under the age of five eat more nutritious food, the
ADB reported.
The evaluation by the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the
Australian Agency for International Development, and Social Weather
Stations was the result of over a year of data collection and analysis.
It was the first of a three-round series of monitoring and evaluation to
gather solid evidence on benefits from the 4Ps program at various stages.
4Ps has two components: health and education. Under health, it provides
R6,000 a year to each family for health and nutrition. Under education,
R3,000 is given per child, a maximum of three children per family, aged
0-14 years, for each school year to meet their expenses. Beneficiary
families take part in "family development" sessions, to discuss issues
on parenting, gender fairness, child rearing, household management,
health and nutrition. The maximum assistance period for a family is five
years. By December 31, 2013, some 321,000 beneficiaries will have
graduated from 4Ps, but they will continue to be assisted by government
with livelihood schemes.
We congratulate the Department of Social Welfare and Development, headed
by Secretary Corazon J. Soliman, other Officers and Personnel, in their
collective efforts to ensure that social protection programs help uplift
the quality of life of majority of Filipinos, especially in rural
communities in the Republic of the Philippines. CONGRATULATIONS AND MABUHAY!
