MANILA, June 28 (Eagle News) – A few days before President Aquino steps down from office, Malacanang has defended the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), which according to critics, encourages dependency on the government.
According to Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr., the 4Ps has been proven to be effective since its implementation in 2010.
Coloma said that in the last six years, the program had proven that it was not a ”dole-out” system, but one that aimed to also capacitate poor Filipinos to rise out of the poverty threshold.
“Napatunayan naman kasi sa nakaraang anim na taon na kung maayos ang pangangasiwa ng ganitong programa, ito ay definitely hindi isang dole-out at definitely din, hindi ito lumilikha ng dependency,” said Secretary Coloma when asked to comment on calls from the business community to review the conditional cash transfer (CCT) program.
Coloma also quoted President Aquino’s “Social Contract with the Filipino People” which stated “From government anti-poverty programs that instill a dole-out mentality to well-considered programs that build capacity and create opportunity among the poor and the marginalized in the country”.
He said that from the start, President Aquino was determined that the CCT program would not be just another “dole-out” mechanism.
“Mula pa sa umpisa ay determinado na si Pangulong Aquino na ang ating anti-poverty program ay hinding-hindi maituturing na dole-out dahil ang salitang dole-out ang ibig sabihin ay inaabot lang. Merong kamay na nakabukas, at inaabot lang ito, ibinibigay at kinakalimutan na. Hindi naman po ganyan ito…,” Coloma explained in a government radio interview.
He said that the government had studied the program carefully.
There is a National Household Targeting System in place where the members of the program are determined. Second, the government makes sure that the needed details are complete — such as the address of the beneficiaries, their family members, and the ages of their children, according to the outgoing Communications secretary.
He also stressed that from the word “conditional” in the program, there is a strict implementation of conditions necessary for members to continue to receive benefits of the program. One of them is that the family should see to it that the children would maintain a minimum attendance of 85 percent, that all young children should undergo regular immunization and their respective weights should be monitored, and that beneficiaries who are pregnant should have a regular pre-natal check-up.
“Hindi ba’t senyales ito ‘nang tinatawag sa Social Contract na isang ‘well-considered program.’ Kaya’t talagang na-plano ito nang husto, at dahil nga dito ay natatamo na kaagad nang mga benepisyo na kung saan ayon sa datos ng Philippine Statistical Authority, mayroong 1.4 million families, tinatayang mahigit 7 milyong Pilipino na nakaalpas na sa kahirapan, lumagtaw na sila o tumaas na sila sa ibabaw na tinatawag na ‘poverty threshold’,” Coloma further said.
Coloma said the 4Ps has been expanded to cover high school education to improve the chances of student beneficiaries of finding jobs.
“Kaya’t malinaw na malinaw na hindi ito lumilikha ng dependency. Ang nililikha nito ay capacity… at para patunayan pa nang higit, pinalawig pa ang programa para ang pag-aaral ng mga benepisyaryong pamilya — pag-aaral ng mga anak ng mga benepisyaryong pamilya ay extended na hanggang high school. Titiyakin na extended hanggang high school sapagka’t kung nakapagtapos sila ng high school, 40 percent higher ang probabilidad na makakuha sila ng kapaki-pakinabang na hanap-buhay,” said Coloma.
Coloma said the effectiveness of 4Ps has been verified by the World Bank and the United States government. (based on a aPND report)