Partners in public service

CEBU, Philippines - Starting last February 6, Land Bank of the Philippines-Plaza Independencia Branch officers headed by manager Edith Tacan took the initiative of going to the ten 4Ps barangays of Cebu City starting with the mountain barangays of Tagbao, Sudlon I and Sudlon II to distribute the cash cards of approximately five hundred 4Ps beneficiaries of the city.

The distribution will continue every Saturday in the rest of the city’s 4Ps barangays such as Duljo, Sawang Calero, Inayawan, Kalunasan, T. Padilla, Tejero and Mambaling.

 “LBP-Plaza Independencia Branch took the initiative of going to the 4Ps areas to distribute and explain to the beneficiaries how to use their cash cards because we see the need to explain thoroughly how to use their cash cards and at the same time it saves them cost of going to the bank,” Tacan said.

Taking into consideration the day to day transaction of the bank and approximately 2,800 beneficiaries in the city, LBP-Plaza Independencia personnel would definitely have more than they could handle in their hands sacrificing the quality service.

Land Bank did more than just partner with DSWD’s Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) as conduit in the cash distribution, it believed in its thrust of investing in human capital by empowering the disadvantage through education.

DSWD’s Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) is a poverty alleviation program that gives conditional cash grant to poor qualified households.

Each household beneficiary will receive P500 a month for health and nutrition allocation and P300 a month for each child as allocation for education but for a maximum of three children only.

In order for beneficiaries to receive P1,400 a month, they must the following conditions (1) pregnant women must get pre- and post-natal care; attended by skilled health professional during childbirth; (2) parents or guardians must attend responsible parenthood sessions, mother’s classes and parent effectiveness seminars; (3) children 0-5 years of age should get regular preventive health check-ups and vaccines, (4) children 3-5 years must attend day care/pre-school classes at least 85 percent of the time, and (5) children 6-14 years must attend elementary or high school at least 85 percent of the time and should receive de-worming pills twice a year. — /LPM   FREEMAN NEWS)