PDP-Laban presidential aspirant Rodrigo Duterte. (davaotoday.com file photo by Ace R. Morandante)
DAVAO CITY — Presidential candidate and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte reminded voters not to be lured by candidates’ promises using the government’s Pantawid Pampamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) to get votes since the program is already sourced from government coffers.
In a statement on Thursday, Duterte expressed dismay that national and local candidates of the administration party have been telling 4Ps members that they would no longer be receiving their monthly cash grants once they lose in the May 9 elections.
“Who are you (candidates) to stop a program that benefits underprivileged Filipinos? The money that poor people receive from the 4Ps is not candidates’ money, but the government’s,” Duterte said. He said he will continue the program if he gets elected.
An urban poor alliance, Kadamay, has called on the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) not to use the 4Ps to force the beneficiaries in joining the Alay-Lakas activity slated on April 4 in Quezon City Memorial Circle and in Luneta.
Gloria Arellano, Kadamay national chairperson said it received reports that 4Ps beneficiaries are obliged to join the activity and warned of P500 cut from their monthly financial assistance if they refuse.
Arellano said the activity aims to call for expansion of the program and increase of the assistance received by the beneficiaries.
“It was reported that those who will not join, except for pregnant women and senior citizens, will face a P500-cut on their monthly assistance,” said Arellano.
Leanna Arellano, monitoring and evaluation officer for the 4Ps program here said that the conditional cash transfer program has conditionalities for the members to comply before they are granted with the assistance.
In a telephone interview with Davao Today, Arellano said if an event is considered Family Development Session (FDS), the beneficiaries should attend the activity, but if it is an outside activity, the members may opt not to join.
Under the program, household-beneficiaries such as “pregnant women must avail pre- and post-natal care, and be attended during childbirth by a trained professional; parents or guardians must attend the family development sessions, which include topics on responsible parenting, health, and nutrition; children aged 0-5 must receive regular preventive health check-ups and vaccines; children aged 6-14 must receive deworming pills twice a year; and children-beneficiaries aged 3-18 must enroll in school, and maintain an attendance of at least 85 percent of class days every month.”
The poverty alleviation program was launched during the administration of former president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in all the 17 regions in the Philippines, covering 79 provinces, 143 cities, and 1,484 municipalities. (davaotoday.com)
