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CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

Poverty is one of the greatest dilemmas the world is facing. This

problem has been persistently lurking different nations for a very long time

especially third world countries like the Philippines. According to the

Philippine Daily Inquirer, poverty rate of the Philippines from 2009 to 2011 is

49 percent, 48 percent, and 50 percent respectively.

In the year 2011, the government implemented a Pantawid Pamilya

Pilipino Program (4Ps) under the management of the Former President

Benigno S. Aquino III. This aims to provide assistance to selected families in

the Philippines, which includes giving financial aid to poor families and

education assistance to their children until they reach the age of 18. It is

also known as Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) in English (Pedalino, 2018),

which had started in the year 2008 as “Ahon Pamilyang Pilipino” under the

Arroyo administration (Pangilinan & Ramos, 2018), inspired by the success

of similar programs in Latin America countries. The program is

implemented by the Department of Social Welfare and Development,

together with the Department of Health, the Department of Education

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and the National Economic and Development Authority as partners

(World Bank).

Agricultural Secretary Manny Piñol stated that 4P’s Program only

makes the beneficiaries become excessively dependent. Some of them

are no longer striving to make living because everything is already

provided by the government. A Chinese proverb tells: "You give a poor

man a fish and you feed him for a day. You teach him to fish and you give

him an occupation that will feed him for a lifetime. However, critics argue

that the 4P’s program do not teaches the people to live on their own but

‘how can you teach them to catch their food when they are already

dying of hunger?’ (Pangilinan & Ramos, 2018).

It is for this purpose that the researchers want to probe and

investigate about the effectiveness of 4P’s program in Poblacion, Arakan,

Cotabato.
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Statement of the Problem

The primary concern of this study is to determine:

1. What is the economic status of the 4P’s recipients?

2. How do recipients manage the cash they receive from the program

of the government?

3. How 4P’s program affects the living of the recipients?

Significance of the Study

This study aimed to identify how effective Pantawid Pamilyang

PilipinoProgram (4P's) to the people in Arakan. This study would serve as

an assessment in the implementation of the Department of Social Welfare

and Development along with its partners, Department of Education,

Department of Health, and the National Economic and Development

Authority. This study will show them the status of the said 4P's beneficiaries,

give them awareness and understanding, and serve as guide as well .

Furthermore, this study hopes to guide the government on what ways they

can improve the program for a productive development of the

community or what action they should maintain. Lastly, 4P'S will be given

insights in this study on how effective and efficient 4P's is and how it

affects their daily living.

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Scope and Limitation

The research will be limited only to selected Pantawid Pilipino Program

family beneficiaries of Poblacion, Arakan, North Cotabato.

It will access only the profile, utilization of the cash grant received,

significant changes to the children using indicators and recommendation

for the better implementation of 4Ps.

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DEFINITION OF TERMS

To have a better understanding of this study, the following terms are

operationally defined:

4P’s -Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, formerly

known as “Ahon Pamilyang Pilipino” a program

of the government that gives cash assistance to

identified families that are most needy.

Health -a state of complete physical, mental and social

well-being.

Poverty -lacking of means to meet basic personal needs

such as food, clothing and shelter.

Poor -lacking sufficient money to live a comfortable

life and satisfaction of the needs of the family.

Education -the process of facilitating learning, transfer of

knowledge to make an individual be ready to

the demands and challenge of the society.

Nutrition. -includes all the nutrients from the food and

supplements people intake to maintain the

body’s condition and develop growth.

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Effectiveness -the degree of success of one’s program upon

reaching its desired goals and objectives.