Introduction

The conditional cash transfer (CCT) program locally known as Pantawid Pamilya Pilipino
Program, or 4Ps, is a government program that provides conditional cash grants to the poorest
of the poor in the Philippines. The program aims to break the cycle of poverty by keeping
children aged 0-18 healthy and in school, so they can have a better future.The program is
implemented by the Department of Social Welfare and Development, with the Department of
Health, the Department of Education and the National Economic and Development Authority as
partners. Households receive cash grants if children stay in school and get regular health check-
ups, have their growth monitored, and receive vaccines. Pregnant women must get pre-natal
care, with their births attended to by professional health workers. Parents or guardians are
required to participate in monthly community-based Family Development Sessions to learn about
positive child discipline, disaster preparedness, and women’s rights.

Beneficiaries are objectively selected through the National Household Targeting System,

also known as Listahanan, which is based from a survey of the physical structure of their
houses, the number of rooms and occupants, their access to running water, and other factors
affecting their living conditions.The program has one of the most comprehensive poverty
targeting databases in the world today, covering 75% of the country’s population. It has been
used extensively to identify poor and near-poor beneficiaries for national and local government
programs.

Started in 2007, the government expanded the program in December 2016 to reach a
total of 20 million Filipinos belonging to 4.4 million households. The program benefits about 20%
of the population, the majority of the nation’s poor.

9 million children are currently benefiting from the program, 1.9 million of which are in high
school. The program has also achieved almost universal enrollment for elementary age children
of 4Ps households. Social protection programs, Pantawid included, have cushioned the poor
from the adverse impacts of various shocks the country experienced over the past six years.
A study estimates that the program has led to a poverty reduction of 1.4 percentage points per
year or 1.5 million less poor Filipinos.

The 4Ps is currently the world’s fourth-largest CCT program based on population coverage. It
complements the government’s other development priorities such as generating jobs and
creating livelihood opportunities for the poor.

Overview of the situation

Poverty has been one of the major problems and societal concerns in the country.
Among various indicators of poverty, Filipinos were found to be most deprived in gaining access
to education, the new multidimensional poverty index (MPI) created by the Philippine Statistics
Authority (PSA) showed. Poverty is a condition in which people lack the basic things in order to
survive such as food, shelter, water, clothes and education (Crossman, 2014). Dela Torre
(2016) noted that most of the problems and difficulties of Filipinos are rooted in poverty. Many
families are left deprived of their basic needs and therefore forced their children to stop going to
school and help them instead in their livelihood. With this main ground, the Philippine
government initiated a program called the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program or 4P’s both to
address poverty and in response to the country’s commitment to the Millennium Development
Goals (MDGs). The Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) is a human development
measure of the national government that provides conditional cash grants to the poorest of the
poor, to improve the health, nutrition, and the education of children aged 0-18. It is patterned
after the conditional cash transfer (CCT) schemes in Latin American and African countries,
which have lifted millions of people around the world from poverty. 4Ps is a version of cash
transfer program here in the Philippines under the Department of Social Welfare and
Development, its aim is to eradicate extreme poverty in the Philippines by investing in health
and education particularly to children from 0-18 years old (Montilla, et.al, 2015).

Children of the 4Ps beneficiaries are referred to Commission on Higher Education

(CHED) which is also DSWD’s partner in the project along with the Department of Labor and
Employment (DOLE) and the implementing state universities and colleges (SUCs). Under the
said program, it ensures that the grantees are enrolled in selected SUCs duly recognized by
CHED, channeled to CHED priority courses, and be extended the needed support that will
guarantee completion of studies, thus qualify them for high-value added jobs in the future.
(Junio, 2014). In partnership with the Commission on Higher Education, the Department of
Labor and Employment, and the Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges, 4Ps
has enrolled 36,003 beneficiaries in state universities and colleges as of June 2015
(officialgazette.gov.ph). The program has strict compliance when it comes to the school
attendance of the students who are beneficiaries because it is their basis in giving the cash
transfer.

Jeffrey Gabucay, who is the 4Ps provincial link in Antique, said in an interview Thursday,
workers will be periodically monitoring the status of the learners following the lifting of the “force
majeure” declaration through Resolution No. 3 by the 4Ps National Advisory Council (NAC) last
September 30.

A force majeure was declared by Department of Social Welfare and Development

(DSWD) Secretary Rolando Joselito Bautista last March after the country was placed under the
state of public health emergency due to coronavirus disease (Covid-19).

This temporarily suspended some of the activities under the 4Ps in compliance with the
recommended health protocols of the Inter-agency Task Force such as non-holding of mass
gatherings.

“As of now, we are still gathering the data as to the number of 4Ps children in school (Gabucay,
2020). Adding that they do not have yet the actual number of 4Ps learners considering that
enlistment is ongoing. “Since there is yet no face-to-face classroom instruction, the completion
of the beneficiary children of their modules will be the basis of the monitoring,”.

4Ps beneficiary children are encouraged to enroll so that they could receive their educational
cash grants.Beneficiary children enrolled in elementary are given PHP300 per month and those
in high school, PHP500 per month.“Those not attending school will be subject to case
management and eventual removal of their grants,” (Gabucay,2020).

Analysis

As of the School Year 2016-2017, the Hon. Francisco Zabala Memorial Elementary
School have a total of 257 enrollment, out of this number 126 are recipient of the Pantawid
Pamilyang Pilipino Program. Attached are the gathered data from the school.

Recommendation

Truly the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program is a big help to those families in the poor
sector of the society but recipients must also abide by the rules and regulations set by the
government. They must actively participate and parents should encourage their children to
study for their attendances are one of the requirements set by the program.