Siquijor beneficiaries receive P1.6M under 4Ps
by Jennifer Catan-Tilos
DUMAGUETE CITY, Oct. 13 (PIA) More than 700 resident-beneficiaries of Enrique Villanueva and Maria towns of Siquijor received their early Christmas assistance of P1.6 million this week under the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
Municipal Mayors Melojean Orquillas of Enrique Villanueva and Rebecca Padayhag of Maria witnessed the ceremonial giving of the cash grant.
DSWD Information Officer Aileen Lariba said the presence of the two local chief executives marked an active support and participation of the local government in the implementation of the program, and “a promise of a busy economic activity in the two town as mothers rush to buy food, sacks of rice, school supplies, uniforms and other necessities in the nearby market.”
The cash distribution is through G-Cash Remit services of the Sta. Barbara Katilingbanong Credit Cooperative, Inc. (SBKCCI) in Enrique Villanueva, Siquijor.
“This is giving the beneficiaries the near comfort and safety of their homes, enabling them to rush to their children’s school and pay overdue accounts or bring their children to the nearest market for a chance to choose their new bags,” said Lariba.
Whatever their reasons are, they have one thing in common as verbalized by parent-leader Trinidad Ibaya, mother of 11 children “dako gyud kaayo among pasalamat nga sa unang higayondili ko mauwaw ikuyog akong anak mamalit kay makahatag man ko sa iyahang panginahanglanon. Dili ko maglisod kung mahaponan mi ug maayo” (I am very thankful that for the first time I am not ashamed to take my daughter out to buy her needs because I now have the means to do so, and since I would be picking her up after class, I do not have to worry because it is very near out place).
The message of the two mayors for the beneficiaries concur DSWD’s conditions to religiously comply the program’s set provisions for them to be able to continuously receive the conditional grant for the next five years.
4Ps is a poverty alleviation strategy of the national government implemented through the DSWD which gives conditional cash grants to extremely poor identified household provided that the following set conditions be complied.
These include pre-natal and post natal for pregnant women, immunization and weighing of children, preventive health check-up, de-worming and 85% attendance in school for their children.
Each household would receive P500/month for health and P300/month/child for education but a maximum of three children.
Lariba said, “the new clothes, food and paid school fees creates a holiday feeling for these families, they also know that just like Christmas, a heavier message lies in receiving this grant, which is responsibly complying with their responsibilities as beneficiaries and a bigger goal of crossing poverty threshold is to be achieved for these 700 or so families.” (PIA NegOr/JCT)