ILOILO City – A total of 12,949 family-beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) in Western Visayas have exited from the program.
According to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Region 6, 11,500 families were no longer qualified because they have no more eligible school-aged children for monitoring.
On the other hand, 1,500 families have become economically sufficient and socially adequate.
The 4Ps provides conditional cash grants to the poorest of the poor, to improve the health, nutrition, and the education of children aged 0-18.
According to Belen Gebusion, DSWD-6’s 4Ps Regional Program Coordinator/Division Chief, before the coronavirus pandemic, they conducted an assessment based on the Social Welfare Development Indicator (SWEDI), a tool used to assess the level of well-being of the beneficiaries. They found that over 32,000 4Ps beneficiaries became self-sufficient.
They conducted a reassessment in 2021; 3,000 beneficiaries sustained the level of well-being, and 1,500 eventually graduated from the program.
Gebusion also said cleansing the list of 4Ps beneficiaries is a regular activity. “Kon wala na sang eligible nga mga kabataan for monitoring, the family becomes a candidate for exit sa Pantawid.”
“Problema lang kis-a indi ma asi-asi makita ang mga households because may mga cases kita nga naga-transfer residence,” she added.
The pronouncement of newly-appointed DSWD secretary Erwin Tulfo on cleaning the 4Ps list will further enhance the regular cleansing activity.
On the other hand, Gebusion said 1,500 beneficiaries were identified as non-compliant of the 4Ps conditions.
“Kon within one year persistent gid nga non-compliant, naga-recommend kita for delisting sa ila,” Gebusion said.
In order to receive subsidies, all the succeeding conditions must be met by the household-beneficiaries:
* Pregnant women must avail pre- and post-natal care, and be attended during childbirth by a trained professional
* Parents or guardians must attend the family development sessions, which include topics on responsible parenting, health, and nutrition
* Children aged 0-5 must receive regular preventive health check-ups and vaccines
* Children aged 6-14 must receive deworming pills twice a year
* Children-beneficiaries aged 3-18 must enroll in school, and maintain an attendance of at least 85% of class days every month./PN
