CEBU, Philippines - At least P2.4 million in cash was distributed yesterday to 850 beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) in barangay Mambaling, Cebu City.
The financial distribution formed part of the Halad sa Katawhan, an anti-poverty activity organized by Presidential Assistant for Central Visayas Felix Guanzon for indigent residents of the barangay.
The beneficiaries were the first batch to receive cash assistance in the third quarter for this year. The rest of the 2,034 beneficiaries of 4Ps in the city will receive their assistance in the coming weeks.
The Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program is a poverty reduction strategy of the government that provides conditional cash transfer to extremely poor household as identified by the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
In Region 7, the DSWD has identified 25,000 beneficiaries, mostly in Negros Oriental.
In Cebu City, the ten depressed barangays with identified beneficiaries are Tejero, T. Padilla, Sawang Calero, Duljo Fatima, Inayawan, Mambaling, Kalunasan, Sudlon I, Sudlon II and Tagba-o.
During the first two quarters of the year, DSWD-7 released a total of P10.2 million to the city alone. An additional P5.1 million will be released for the third quarter.
DSWD-7 director Ma. Evelyn Macapobre said that based on their initial monitoring, the program is so far creating good impact in the lives of the recipients.
“Ang mga teacher magreport namo na there are more registrations this year and less absences in class. Mothers are now more serious in sending their children to school because they know that it is one of the conditions they have to comply with so they may continue to receive assistance from the government,” Macapobre said.
Macapobre explained that recipients will not receive assistance without complying with certain requirements. — Jessica Ann R. Pareja/LPM (THE FREEMAN)