DSWD warns politicos against exploiting 4Ps program to win votes

CEBU, Philippines - The Department of Social Welfare and Development Office (DSWD) has reminded politicians, especially those in the first district, to refrain from using the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) of the government to win votes in the May 2013 elections.

The 4Ps program gives subsidy to indigent families.  said that they have not received any complaints that the 4Ps project is being used by some politicians to ensure the victory of their candidates.

“We will educate our beneficiaries on the right to vote. It is a right but they must vote according sa ilang pagtuo sa ilang kandidato,” Aileen Lariba, DSWD 7 4Ps information officer, told The Freeman.  Minglanilla and San Fernando are among the towns in Cebu to enter into a memorandum of agreement with the Department of Social Welfare and Development-7 as co-partners in the implementation of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program Set 6.

Other towns include Consolacion, Liloan, and Compostela which also signed the agreement on the set 6 beneficiaries of the national government’s implementation of conditional cash grants to poor families as determined by the National Household Targeting system for Poverty Alleviation.

Lariba said the DSWD would like to make sure that the 4Ps won’t be used as conditions in politics.

Lariba said the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino program provides cash grants to poor households with pregnant women and children 0-14 years old. But the cash grant can only be obtained when the household comply with the conditions of the program: health, nutrition, and education, she said.

With Set 6 implemented, another 21,000 households in the region will receive monthly grants of P500 each for health and nutrition and P300 for every child in school or a maximum of P900 for education. Lariba said a household beneficiary of at least three kids in school can get P1,400 per month, for as long as they regularly comply with the conditions.