7, 996 new 4Ps beneficiaries receive cash grants in Region 2

Tuesday 27th of March 2012

TUGUEGARAO CITY, March 27 (PIA) -- A total of 7,996 families enlisted as additional beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) for Set 5 in Region 2 have received their first cash grants, social welfare Regional Director Arnel B. Garcia said.

Together with the Landbank of the Philippines, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Region 2, handed the cash grants of the beneficiaries with as much as P1,400 pesos each, totaling to P15 million released to the different municipalities from the first week up to last week of March.

Garcia said the beneficiaries are the additional families covered in the expansion of the Pantawid Pamilya late last year.

Beneficiaries from the six municipalities in the province of Isabela include Burgos, San Guillermo, Quezon, Cauayan, Tumauini, and Sta. Maria, and from the three municipalities in Nueva Vizcaya, which include Diadi, Aritao, and Villaverde, already received their first cash grant under the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program.

“The pay-out for the Set 5 beneficiaries, which started this March is continuous until we will be able to give the first tranche to all the beneficiaries in the 58 new municipalities covered by Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program in the region,” Regional Director Arnel B. Garcia said.

“This program really caters to the needs of the children. The release of the first cash grants is timely because the family beneficiaries can use them to buy things their children’s graduation or recognition," Director Garcia added.

Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program is an anti-poverty reduction program of the Philippine government implemented by Department of Social Welfare and Development in partnership with Department of Health, Department of Education, and local government units.

The program provides cash grants of P300 for education per child per month at a maximum of three children to be covered in a family and P500 pesos per month per family for the monthly health maintenance of the children especially the babies.

The families can continue to receive said cash grants subject to compliance to certain conditions such as maintaining at least 85% class attendance of children, monthly check-ups of children, and monthly attendance in Family Development Sessions of parents or guardians.

To date, there are 82 municipalities covered by Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program region-wide, wherein 58 from this are newly covered municipalities when the program expanded last December 2011. The program is now serving 80,593 families. (Oliver T. Baccay & Bridgette Mayor/TCB/PIA 2)