JULY 29, 2016

NR # 4276

Solons seek to institutionalize 4Ps to reduce poverty

Lawmakers are pushing for the passage of a bill, which seeks to institutionalize the
governments Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program to reduce poverty and promote
human capital development.
Rep. Horacio P. Suansing Jr. (2nd District, Sultan Kudarat) and his wife, Rep.
Estrellita B. Suansing (1st District, Nueva Ecija) said House Bill 293 is more than just a
cash grant program as it breaks the intergenerational poverty cycle through investments in
human capital.
Suansing cited an observation by a World Bank panel of economists, which
convened in 2009 to assess conditional transfers in Latin America, of a substantial decline
in poverty incidence in program participants.
He said the same World Bank panel of economists had observed that among the
participants is the encouragement of good health and education practices among the
family.
The same have been observed among the pilot beneficiaries of the 4Ps program,
he said.
He added that given the success of the 4Ps program to reach out to the poor, there is
a need to ensure sustainability through an enacted policy.
The bill aims to provide assistance to the poor to alleviate their immediate needs
and to improve delivery of basic services particularly education, health, and nutrition.
Likewise, it seeks to promote gender equality and empowerment of women; achieve
universal primary education, reduce child mortality and improve maternal health.
The measure tasks the Department of Social Work and Development (DSWD) to
select qualified household-beneficiaries using a standardized targeting on a nationwide
basis.
It creates a Local Verification Committee in every municipality or city composed of
two local government unit (LGU) representatives, an accredited health service provider
from the barangay, a representative of an accredited civil society organization, and the
school head as designated by the Department of Education (DepEd).
The committee is tasked to ensure that the initial list of beneficiaries satisfies the
eligibility requirements set forth under this Act.

The proposal further states that subject to certain conditions, each qualified
household-beneficiary shall receive conditional cash transfer equivalent to P500 per
month for health and nutrition expenses or the equivalent of P6,000 per qualified
household-beneficiary per year.
A maximum of three children per qualified household-beneficiary shall be given
conditional cash grants for educational expenses: P300 per month per child enrolled in
elementary or P3,000 per a 10-month school year; P500 per month per child enrolled in
junior high school or P5,000 per a 10-month school year; and P700 per month per child
enrolled in senior high school or P7,000 per a 10-month school year.
A supplementary education grant of P3,000 per month shall be given to the child in
elementary or high school who has maintained passing grades in all subjects after the
second year of availment of the program.
The proposal sets forth requirements that all qualified household-beneficiaries have
to comply for continued program eligibility.
Among these are: children 0 to 5 years old must receive regular preventive health
check-ups and vaccinations; children 6 to 13 years old must avail of de-worming pills at
least twice a year; children 3 to 5 years old must attend day care or pre-school classes at
least 85 percent of the time; and children must attend elementary or high school classes at
least 85 percent of the time.
As for pregnant women, they must avail of pre- and post-natal care and give birth
with assistance of a skilled or trained health care professional in a health facility.
The measure requires at least one responsible person to maintain cleanliness in the
surroundings and practice proper garbage disposal and one responsible person to attend
family development sessions and natural family planning sessions conducted by the
DSWD at least once a month, among others.
It further states that non-compliance by the household-beneficiary with the
conditions may result to suspension from the program.
The penalty by imprisonment of one to six months and a fine of P10,000 to P20,000
or both at the discretion of the court shall be imposed on any person, public or private,
whether or not acting in conspiracy with public officials, who, by act of omission, inserts
or allows the insertion of data or false information, or who diverts from what ought to be
contained in the registry, with the view of altering the fact, or aiding in the grant of the
money to persons other than the qualified household-beneficiaries. (30) mvip