Professional Documents
Culture Documents
REDUCTION
1MariaLady Sol A. Suazo, 1Jennifer M. Montero, 1Maria Cristina S. Dela Cerna, 1Rolly G. Salvaleon, 1Annie Y. Samarca
and 1Roxan G. Eupea
Abstract
Poverty remains a big challenge in the Philippines. To address the problem, the
government introduced Pantawid Pamilya Program that uses conditional cash
transfers (CCTs) to poor households that have been identified and agreed upon by the
beneficiaries. This study evaluated the perception of the beneficiaries on the
attainment of the objectives of the Program and further; it delved on determining the
effect of the program at the household level of the Set 1 Pantawid Pamilya
beneficiaries in the Province of Surigao del Sur; determining the extent of attainment
of the objectives of the Pantawid Pamilya Program; and providing recommendations to
enhance the implementation of the program. The study revealed that the program was
effective in attaining its objectives but there are still aspects that need further
attention regarding the initiatives of the Government in reducing poverty level in the
country.
Given the breadth and width of Pantawid the beneficiaries on the attainment of the
Pamilya Program (3Ps), the Government is objectives of the Program and further; it
making a huge investment using its scarce delved on determining the effect of the
resources. Hence, it should be significant program at the household level of the Set 1
and judicious to conduct a study that will Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries in the
determine the return on this considerable Province of Surigao del Sur; determining the
investment. Formerly called Pantawid extent of attainment of the objectives of the
Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), the Pantawid Pamilya Program; and providing
project is a poverty reduction and social recommendations to enhance the
development strategy of the national implementation of the program.
government. It provides conditional cash Previous studies have proven the vastly
grants to extremely poor households based positive contribution of the program in
on their compliance with verifiable reducing chances of poverty Fiszbein et al.,
conditions that have been identified and (2009), Gertler et al., (2012), Verlarde et al.,
agreed upon by the beneficiaries. (2011) but each focused on different effects
Beneficiaries are identified using the of Pantawid Pamilya. Fiszbein et al., (2009)
National Household Targeting System noted the impact of Pantawid Pamilya in
(NHTS), to improve their health, nutrition human development, particularly in
and education particularly of children aged education and health; Gertler et al., (2012)
0-14. This study evaluated the perception of and Velarde & Fernandez (2011) addressed
48 SDSSU Multidisciplinary Research Journal Vol. 2 No. 1 Jan.June 2014 1Surigao del Sur State University
Pantawid Pamilya Program towards Poverty Reduction
the immediate effect of Pantawid Pamilya on and encouragement of the parents to invest
beneficiaries annual income. As one of the in their childrens (and their own) human
piloted regions in the Philippines, a need to capital through investments in their health
assess the effect of Pantawid Pamilya has to and nutrition, education, and participation
be initiated. in community activities.
The cited studies manifest a means of Investment in human development,
improving human development of the particularly in education and health,
extreme poor by building their human purports improvement of the countrys
capital. This goal is apparently based on the chances of reducing poverty. Fiszbein et al.,
observed correlation between poverty status (2009) proves in his study that CCTs have a
and the state of human development. positively impact on outcomes such as
However, they only consider human increase in the enrolment of children in
development with respect to health, schools in Mexico, Colombia, Bangladesh
education and annual income. This study and Turkey. They have also been proven to
attempts to explore other contributions of decrease the incidence of child labor among
the program based on the Millennium children aged 7 to 13 years old in Mexico
Development Goals (MDGs), namely: and Nicaragua; lower the incidence of illness
eradication of extreme poverty and hunger, among young children, as well as increase
achievement of universal primary education, the utilization of health services among
promotion of gender equality, reduction of young girls in Honduras. The program also
child mortality and improvement of maternal posted remarkable improvements in the
health. nutritional status of children by increasing
The effectiveness of Pantawid Pamilya the average consumption rate in food
Program in the attainment of its objectives expenditure.
are desirable from the perspective of policy On the other hand, participation in
and implementation. The study can be community activities is an important
utilized to enhance the program to improve determinant of poverty alleviation especially
the lives of its beneficiaries. This study because economic growth alone is not
further assists the government and sufficient for poverty reduction; growth must
non-government organizations to design be accompanied with equity and promoted
programs and projects to help address by participation (Okunmadewa, 1999).
poverty incidence in the country. Tunrayo (2009) defines community
participation as an active involvement of the
2.0 Conceptual Framework community members in particular projects
geared towards the development of an area.
The efficiency of Pantawid Pamilya The main purpose of community
Program can be manifested in the development projects is to organize, develop
attainment of its objectives which are and utilize available natural resources and
categorized as: improvement of preventive manpower. These resources are utilized in
health care among pregnant women and such a way that the entire rural population
young children; increase of the enrollment depending on them has an opportunity to
in and attendance rate of children in school; meet their basic needs along with
reduction of the incidence of child labor; reasonable facilities for education and
raise of the average consumption rate in health. This promotes in a positive and
food expenditure of poor households; healthy environment.
Mothers
Policy
Recommendations
Total 7.84
Pantawid Pamilya Program has attained familys income and provide for their school
what it aims to achieve with respect to the needs as reflected in the weighted mean but
identified objectives as evident. However, it few allowed their children to work to help
was found out that there are still aspects parents provide for the family needs. On the
that need honing as to the initiatives of the other hand, the children-respondents find
Government in the promotion of its health the program very beneficial for them. During
and education programs. the Focused-Group Discussion, they
The table shows that the mother and divulged that they have been given now the
children-recipients have generally availed right of entry to basic education which their
the health services freely provided by the parents whose income is inadequate were
government as one of their responsibilities not able to make available for them. The
while availing the program. Of these, the Program essentially brought them closer to
health service is on buying additional iron their dreams because as revealed by the
tablets. children-respondents, they do want to
With respect to the perception of the obtain quality education knowing that this
mothers who benefited from the Pantawid will eventually give them a better life.
Pamilya Program, they reveal that that the According to teachers, because of the
Program has greatly contributed to the Program, they have noticed that their
general well-being of their family. They have students are now actively taking part with
availed health benefits that include school activities and even the parents of the
consultation services and free medicines beneficiaries have become enthusiastic in
from their respective health centers, improve participating to school call-ups. They do not
nutrition and education of their children. find it difficult anymore to convince parents
Respondents even disclosed that if not for to become involved with their childrens
the program, their children, though academic-related activities because
attending school, may not be able to fully obligations are now met with positive
participate in school activities because their responses unlike before when the Program
financial capacity restricts them from doing has not been implemented. Parents do not
so. The health-related support they gained prioritize this kind of obligations because it
because of the program has ensured that is more important for them to look for
young children will be provided with the money to support the needs of the family,
proper health-care as well as those pregnant rather than attending parent-teacher-
beneficiaries. They revealed that before meetings, but now with the Pantawid
being a beneficiary, it was difficult for them Program, outlooks and attitudes have slowly
to visit medical facilities because of their met refinement.
insufficient income, however, now they have It also reveals that the consumption rate
enjoyed medical services because the in food expenditure of poor household
program allows it so. increases a little. The increase also resulted
Consequently, results revealed that after to the change in the variety of food bought
availing the program, the enrollment and as reflected in the mean. Of these, the
attendance rate of the children significantly highest increase was on their budget for
increase more than the primordial food. The table discloses that parents
conditions set by the program. invested with their childrens human
It is also evident that many parents do capacity with respect to their health,
not require their children to augment nutrition, education and participation in
community activities especially on attending introduce the health programs in a way that
schools activities as shown in the mean will not affect the beliefs of their clients.
rating. As to the health workers, there is an
increase in the number of clients facilitated. 5.0 Conclusion
However; some supplies of the barangay
health centers run out, thus, they are The Pantawid Pamilya Program of the
sometimes unable to provide health needs of government is effective in its objectives in
their clients. alleviating the poverty status of Filipino
Families particularly in the Province of
Program Constraints of Beneficiaries Surigao del Sur. However, for a more
efficient result, there is a need to strengthen
As revealed during the FGD, despite the collaboration between LGUs, DSWD, and
having met the requirement espoused by the other elemental agencies with respect to the
Program, beneficiaries find some constraints implementation of health-and-education-
like shortage in the amount that they are related ventures to achieve greater impact in
expected to receive. The shortage then terms of beneficial outcomes of the program.
affects the budget that they have prepared Government shall also enact policies on the
for the months covering the grant. At times implementation of various programs on
like these, they find it difficult to warrant health and education which have been
the financial obligations because of the tight subjected to rigorous scientific study as to
budget resulting to their childrens ensure the viability and effectiveness of
absenteeism because the latter is forced to these programs.
help the former to augment the familys
income. Also, the beneficiaries revealed that References
because only three children are covered by
the program, the remaining children of the Fiszbein, A., Schady, N., Ferreira, F. Grosh,
family developed a negative perception M., Keleher, N., Olinto, P., &
thinking that they have not been given Skoufias, E. (2009). Conditional cash
priority by their parents. transfers: Reducing present and
Teachers also revealed that there are future poverty. A World Bank Policy
those beneficiaries who still cannot meet Research Report., The World Bank
school obligations despite the support given Washington, DC., pp. 1-384.
to them by the Program. They asserted that
some beneficiaries divert the budget Gertler, P., Martinez, S., & Codina, M.R.
required for school expenditures to other (2012). Investing cash transfers to
forms of expenses of meager importance like raise long-term living standards.
buying appliances, loading their cell phones American Economic Journal: Applied
and the likes. Economics, 4(1): 164-92. DOI:
On the other hand, BHWs disclosed that 10.1257/app.4.1.164.
because the health services are free of
charge, beneficiaries really avail of them. Okunmadewa. F. (1999). Poverty alleviation
Only a small portion seems not to really in Nigeria. Paper Presented at Policy
adhere to the agreements on health because Seminar on Poverty Alleviation in
of culture-restriction issues, to this end, Nigeria, August 2-5, Abuja, Nigeria.
they find ways and means to slowly pp. 22-25.