We all know that our country is facing a lot of problems today. One of this is poverty. Many people are homeless. Some are struggling to find jobs. Many children won't be able to go to school due to financial problems. So, our government is trying to fight poverty by implementing programs like 4Ps.
What is 4Ps all about?
4Ps or Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program is a poverty reduction and social development strategy of the national government that provides conditional cash grants to extremely poor households to improve their health, nutrition and education particularly of children aged 0-14. The program is currently being implemented by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
Objectives of the Program:
1. To improve the preventive health care among pregnant women and their children
2. To increase the enrollment in and attendance rate of children in school
3. To reduce the incidence of child labor
4. To raise the average consumption rate in food expenditure of poor households
5. To encourage parents to invest in their children’s human capital through investment in health and nutrition, education and participation in community activities.
4Ps has dual objectives:
Social Assistance - to provide cash assistance to the poor to alleviate their immediate need (short term poverty alleviation); and
Social Development - to break the intergenerational poverty cycle through investments in human capital.
Program Coverage
4Ps operates in 45 provinces covering 255 municipalities and 15 key cities. At present, 700,000 households are enrolled in the program and are receiving cash grants.
Program Package
4Ps provides cash grants to the beneficiaries as follows:
-P6,000 a year or P500 per month per household for health and nutrition expenses; and
-P3,000 for one school year (10 months) or P300/month per child for educational expenses. A maximum of three children per household is allowed.
-A household with three qualified children receives a subsidy of P1,400/month during the school year or P15,000 annually as long as they comply with the conditionalities. The cash grants shall be received by the most responsible person in the household, usually the mother, through a Land Bank cash card.
Eligible Beneficiaries
Residents of the poorest municipalities based on 2003 Small Area Estimates (SAE) of the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB);
Households whose economic condition is equal to or below the provincial poverty threshold.
Households that have children 0-14 years old and/or have a pregnant woman at the time of assessment;
Households that agree to meet conditions specified in the program.
Budget Alloted for the project
A budget of P10 Billion a year has been allotted for 70,000 family beneficiaries.
I'm really happy that this program has been implemented by the government in our country because its a big help for the less fortunate people whose basic needs is not enough. Some what for my part as a concern citizen I really do care a lot to those people considering this willingness to be able to help them in our own little way because we Filipinos are well-known for being friendly and hospitable. I hope and pray that our government specially the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) will maintain and continue this program with progress as of what they are doing right now. From today's generation onwards as we trying to make progress for the future! :)
