960 4Ps BENEFICIARIES RECEIVE CASH CARDS

Tubod, Lanao del Norte-Under the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), one of the priority programs of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to fight hunger and poverty, 960 beneficiaries from the municipality of Magsaysay received their cash cards on October 31 at the Mindanao Civic Center stadium, this town. Magsaysay town has a total of 1,116 qualified household beneficiaries who are thoroughly evaluated by the Department of Social Welfare and Development in the region. The total cash grants for release in this town is P3,369,700.00. With this program, children of poor and indigent families will be able to attend classes and get proper learning thereat without worrying on education fee or health care since it is already provided for with a duration of five years. Eligible households must receive P6,000 per year or P500 per month per household for its nutrition and health care. For education, P3,000 per year or P300 per month per child for 10 months a year, to a maximum three children per household. Some beneficiaries will receive or has been receiving P1,400 per month for a family with at least three children for five years. 4Ps emerged after DSWD officials attended the 3rd Conference on Conditional Cash Transfer in Istanbul in June 2006. In March 2007, the Conditional Cash Transfer is presented to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo during a Cabinet Meeting and she then gave her approval for its pre-pilot implementation in CARAGA and Region 10. The Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program serves as a vehicle in combating the cycles of poverty in Filipino households. Through provision of conditional income support to extremely poor households, increase in investments in human capital (particularly to their children) shall be achieved (DSWD).