LAOAG CITY, Mar. 9 — Some 1,810 families received cash grants under the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) of the Aquino administration in Laoag City.
City Social Welfare and Development Officer Aurora Corpuz said 1,400 beneficiaries received their first pay-out for the months of November and December, while 727 got their cash grants for January to February.
The 4Ps is a poverty reduction and social development strategy of the national government through the Department of Social Welfare and Development that provides conditional cash grants to extremely poor households to improve their health, nutrition and education particularly of children aged 0-14.
Beneficiaries of the program receive P500/month for health and nutrition expenses and P300/month per child (a maximum of 3 children) for educational expenses.
The families are identified under the data base system created by the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction.
“They will receive cash grants under the program for 5 years after which they will be assessed. This is to show that the government is not simply giving dole-outs but actually investing in human capital,” Corpuz said.
Pay-outs, according to Corpuz, will be given through the Land Bank.
“If they already have their own ATM cards, they can go directly to the bank to withdraw. If, however, they still do not have it, they will get their grant from us,” she said.
Laoag City Mayor Michael V. Farinas advised the beneficiaries to safeguard the cash grants they are receiving and avoid the practice of accepting money offers from loan sharks in exchange for their grants which they have yet to receive.
The 4Ps helps to fulfill the administration’s commitment to meet the Millennium Development Goals of Eradicating Extreme Poverty and Hunger; Achieving Universal Primary Education; Promoting Gender Equality; Reducing Child Mortality; and Improving Maternal Health. (ANL/CPC-PIA 1 Ilocos Norte)
