(Eagle News) — President Benigno S. Aquino III said some 4.4 million households became beneficiaries of the government’s Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), as he cited the gains of the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) program, in his 6th and last State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday, July 27.
One of the major achievements President Aquino highlighted in his last SONA, delivered at the Session Hall of the House of Representatives, is the positive impact of the Pantawid Pamilya on the lives of its beneficiaries.
President Aquino said the government has expanded the program’s coverage to include poor families with high school-aged children.
“Pinalawak natin nang husto ang saklaw nito. Ngayon, nasa mahigit 4.4 million na ang kabahayang nakikinabang sa programa. Malayong-malayo ito sa dinatnan nating 786,523 lamang na kabahayan,” he said.
The President said 333,673 student-beneficiaries of the expanded Pantawid Pamilya completed high school this year. Of the figure, 13,469 graduated with honors and a variety of awards.
“Ang lahat po ng benepisyaryong ito, tataas ang antas ng kaalaman; sa halip na menial jobs ang pasukan ay malamang makakuha sila ng mga trabahong maayos ang mga suweldo,” he said.
“Income tax pa lang nila, bawi na ang puhunan ng estado, at maitutuloy natin ang siklo ng pagbibigay-lakas sa mga nangangailangan. Bonus pa po ang lalong magandang kinabukasang nag-aabang para sa mga honor students na pinagtapos ng programa,” he added.
Pantawid Pamilya is the government’s primary program in assisting the poor. Under the expanded CCT program, children of the beneficiaries get cash grants until they finish high school.
“Sa Pantawid Pamilya, kapalit ng tulong sa mga benepisyaryo, pangunahin nilang dapat tutukan ang pag-aaral ng mga anak,” President Aquino said.
The President said the program has already begun bearing fruit.
“Ayon sa pag-aaral ng Philippine Institute for Development Studies, noong 2008, mayroong 2.9 million na out-of-school children sa ating bansa. Lumaki ang ating populasyon, pero noong 2013, ang natirang out-of-school children, 1.2 million na lang po. Idiin po natin ang diperensiya: 1.7 million,” he said.
“Para po nating pinuno ng estudyante ang humigit-kumulang 42,500 na bakanteng classroom. Siyempre, bukod sa Pantawid Pamilya, may kontribusyon din ang Alternative Learning System para masigurong pati ang mga katutubo at street children ay hindi napapag-iwanan,” he added.
In his SONA, President Aquino also defended the Pantawid Pamilya from critics, saying the program is not a magic pill.
“May mga nagtatanong pa nga rin po: Nasaan ang resulta ng Pantawid Pamilya? Sagot po natin diyan, ‘Naman.’ Ang akala kaya nila, itong Pantawid Pamilya ay parang mahiwagang tabletang kapag ininom ng kinder, pagkatapos ng ilang oras ay college graduate na? Baka po kulang sila ng pagkakataong mag-aral kaya tululungan natin silang magbilang: 13 taon ang K to 12, samantalang 6 na taon lang ang aking termino. Nahahalata tuloy kung sino ang medyo matinding mambobola,” he said.
The Pantawid Pamilya is a human development program of the national government that provides conditional cash grants to underprivileged families to improve the health, nutrition, and education of children aged 0 to 18. PN