PGMA, Salceda to ink P977.3-M for 4Ps in Albay

by MA Loterte and NI Mediavillo

Legazpi City (24 November) — President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Governor Joey Salceda of Albay will sign the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) for the implementation of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) tomorrow (November 24) in Malacañang.

Salceda disclosed that President Arroyo has approved some P977.3 million to fund the implementation of 4Ps for Albay, which will be carried out through the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

Salceda said that from Libon town as the sole beneficiary since the inception of the program, 4ps will expand its coverage to other 11 municipalities including Polangui, Daraga, Libon, Jovellar, Pioduran, Rapu-rapu, Manito, Sto. Domingo, Malilipot, Bacacay, Malinao and three cities namely Tabaco, Legazpi and Ligao.

He added that every identified family-beneficiary will receive P1,400 monthly financial subsidy for five years.

The provincial government of Albay targets 180,370 households, however, some 69,803 of which have been identified and qualified based from the criteria set by DSWD.

4Ps is a poverty reduction strategy of the government providing cash grants to extremely poor households to improve health, nutrition, and education in the family, particularly of children aged 0-14 years old.

Salceda noted that a total of P977.3 million is the annual budgetary requirement of 4Ps in the province per year, adding that the amount is much higher than the annual budget of the provincial government.

Cash grants will only be released to the most responsible adult member of every household, usually the mother, through electronic card banking system of the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP).

Program beneficiaries will be identified based on a scoring system, utilizing the socio-economic characteristics of the household, such as non-ownership of assets/appliances, type of housing unit, level of educational attainment of household head and non-access to water and sanitation facilities.

Salceda stressed that parents or heads of the family must see to it that their children will go to school regularly, avail of the necessary health services and come up with a livelihood in order for them to receive regular cash grant.

“Failure to comply with these conditions means the grant will be automatically suspended,” he said.

4Ps aims to pursue the country’s commitment to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), such as eradication of extreme poverty and hunger, achievement of universal primary education, promotion of gender equality, reduction of child mortality and improvement of maternal health.

The program also intends to provide social assistance, providing cash grants to poorest families for their immediate needs (short term poverty alleviation); and pursues social development, breaking the intergenerational poverty cycle through investments in human capital.

4Ps has since been carried out in the provinces of Sorsogon, Masbate and in Libon town in Albay.

Salceda is optimistic that the expanded 4Ps will be implemented by June 2010. (PIA V/RnB)