Chapter 1

Introduction

Poverty stricken, or being necessitous – living in continuous scarcity – has reaching impacts across a

community. Governments are finding difficult to provide food, shelter & employment to the rising population.

Deep commitment in solving the gut-wrenching issues of poverty were poured by people due to the

insufficiency of the numerous solutions created and implemented. One of the new ways of alleviating poverty is

the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT). The CCT Program, started in the late 1990s in Latin American countries

and fine Caribbean, has shown effectiveness in promoting human capital accumulation among poor households

(Millan et al., 2019). There is clear evidence of success in increasing enrollment rates, increasing childhood

well-being, meeting health objectives, and substantial improvement on the livelihoods of millions of poor

people worldwide (Saavedra, 2016).

In the Philippines, Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), a CCT program implemented by the

Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), is one of the national poverty reduction strategies

that provides conditional cash grants to the poorest of the poor households to improve their health, nutrition and

education particularly of children aged 0-14 (Abalos et al., 2016). The program's beneficiaries are objectively

selected through the National Household Targeting System, also known as Listahanan, which the physical

structure of their houses, the number of rooms and occupants, their access to running water, and other factors

affecting their living conditions were assessed through a proxy means test (The World Bank, 2017). The 4Ps'

dual objectives are to provide social assistance and social development. Based on the two stated objectives, the

first objective which is to provide social assistance means that 4Ps is a short-term poverty alleviation as it seeks

to give monetary support to extremely poor families to respond to their immediate needs. The second objective,

on the other hand, is the main goal and is expected in the longer-term which aims to break the intergenerational

poverty cycle by investing in the health and education of poor children (Official Gazette).

According to the DSWD, the 4Ps has two types of cash grants that are given out to household-

beneficiaries: health grant and education grant. The 4Ps provides financial support to beneficiaries consisting
P500 per household every month (or a total of P6,000 every year) for health and nutrition expenses; and P300

per child every month for ten months (or a total of P3,000 every year) for educational expenses. A household

may register a maximum of three children for the education grant of the program. For a household with three

children, a household may receive P1,400 every month, or a total of P15,000 every year for five years, from the

two types of cash grants given to them as long as all the succeeding conditions were met by the household-

beneficiaries: 1) Pregnant women must avail pre- and post-natal care, and be attended during childbirth by a

trained professional; 2) Parents or guardians must attend the family development sessions, which include topics

on responsible parenting, health, and nutrition; 3) Children aged 0-5 must receive regular preventive health

check-ups and vaccines; 4) Children aged 6-14 must receive deworming pills twice a year; and 5) Children-

beneficiaries aged 3-18 must enroll in school, and maintain an attendance of at least 85% of class days every

month (Official Gazette).

The Philippine's Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program is one of the successful CCT program

worldwide, but for all that in a means of alleviation and no more of an absolute solution for poverty eradication.

In the place of this uncertainty, this study determines and reports the various issues and concerns of the 4Ps

beneficiaries, as well as their attitude and comments regarding the program for the discernment on possible

improvements of the Philippines' Conditional Cash Transfer Program. An assessment and beneficiary feedback

approach in the implementation of the program is determined through purposive research review.

Statement of the Problem

The study aimed to determine Issues and Concerns of Beneficiaries on the Implementation of Pantawid

Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps). Specifically, the researchers sought answers to the following.

1. How may the profile of 4ps beneficiaries be described in terms of:

1.1. Age

1.2. Gender

1.3. Educational Attainment

1.4. Status in life

 2. What are the problems and difficulties encountered by the 4Ps beneficiaries on the implementation of the

program?

3. How would the implementation of 4Ps affect the lives of the beneficiaries?

4. In what way does the 4ps beneficiaries views the program?

5. What are the advantages and disadvantages of implementing the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program

(4Ps)?

Significance of the Study

This study aims to know the issue and concerns of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4ps). The

researcher believes that the results and findings of this study will help the following assessment 4Ps program

and its issues and concerns. The outcome of the findings of the study will be advantageous to the following:

Community – This study can assist the community in addressing the issues and challenges faced by the

Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).

Researcher – This study will aid researchers because it will address particular questions. This will enable

the researchers to examine the situation and come up with a short and well-organized conclusion. Also, it

will play an important role in meeting the requirements

4Ps member – This study will inform them whether the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) is a

truly beneficial option for Filipinos in need of wellbeing.

Government – This study's findings will inform them of the true situation of 4ps beneficiaries. This

research can be used to produce new policies and aid recommendations for the stated government's

program.
 The Department of Social Welfare and Development – The findings of this study were used to modify

the requirements for recipients' qualifications. Because they are in charge of overseeing the 4ps program,

the findings of this study could have a significant impact.

Scope and Delimitation

This research will only cover the beneficiaries in the Province of Tarlac City, Tarlac. We are looking for

their views and opinions about the 4Ps program. Beneficiary feedback on the effectiveness of the 4ps program

and program lacking. This study aims to determine their program-related difficulties. Health, mental, or

financial problems, problems with the level of financial literacy, the ability to budget a cash grant

(Health/Education) from 4Ps. Therefore, this study only sought out their perspectives and opinions about the

effects of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4P's) to their lives.

This study will be conducted in Province of Tarlac City. The selection of the respondents has been

limited to current 4Ps beneficiaries and 4Ps beneficiaries until now. Nonetheless, former beneficiaries and non –

4Ps recipients are not included.

Definition of Terms

For the purpose of clarification, the important terms used in the study have been defined.

The following terms are:

Educational Grant. An avenue of financing used to mitigate the cost of higher education, commonly referred

to money given for educational purposes, such as tuition for college or graduate schools.

Proxy Means Test (PMT). Used to describe a situation where information on household or individual

characteristics correlated with welfare levels is used in a formal algorithm to proxy household income, welfare

or need.

Social Assistance. Refers to government programs that provide a minimum level of income support to

individuals and households living in poverty.

Social Development. About improving the well-being of every individual in society so they can reach their full

potential. Social development means investing in people.

Conditional Cash Transfers (CCT). Regular money transfers to poor households given under conditions

related to the use of health services, the uptake of food and nutritional supplementation, the enrollment and

attendance of children and adolescents in school.

Purposive Sampling. A form of non-probability sampling wherein researchers rely upon their very own

judgment while selecting participants of the population to participate in the survey.

Maximal Variation Sample. Selected to represent a wide perspectives or characteristics which is the 4Ps

recipients.

Beneficiary Feedback Approach. Involves consultation with recipients of aid to gather their views and

perspective, signal any potential constraints to their participation, and obtain feedback and/or recommendations

regarding the implementation of the conditional cash transfer program in order to solve the lacking and improve

its efficacy.
 Chapter 2

Related Literature and Related Studies

The Philippines' Conditional Cash Transfer or the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), the

government’s centerpiece program to address poverty, has been lauded by various sectors because of the social

and economic benefits reaped by its beneficiaries. The impact evaluations in terms of health and education

outcomes for the beneficiaries displayed hopeful results (Abalos et al., 2016). Based on the review of the

researchers, the program has achieved its goal in health and nutrition with the improvement in the beneficiaries'

health status, particularly children, were indeed regularly immunized. More births were attended by professional

health workers and some of the health centers where these are taken are Phil-Health accredited. In terms of

education, 4Ps have also served its purpose to the beneficiaries. Beneficiaries performed well in their academics

and other aspects of education like improved access to education, increased attendance, enhanced grades, were

among of the improvements from the beneficiaries (Acupido et al., 2020). And in the study of Lluz (2020),

results that student-beneficiaries responded mostly positive views of the effects of the program to their

education and that they saw it helpful. The financial assistance was able to help them with their daily needs in

school, pay their school contributions, for their daily fare and school projects.

However, there have been reports that some problems have arose while the implementation of the

Philippines' CCT program is being carried out, in which is the focus of this study. According to a study,

government agencies appoint focal persons in the different barangays to coordinate with the different agencies

when solving the problems encountered and introduced ways to improve the implementation. These focal

persons receive reports from community residents regarding the compliance of the beneficiaries. The problems

encountered by the beneficiaries and the discussions on the ways for the latter to avoid further complications

such as deductions on their monthly subsidy or worse, removal from the list of beneficiaries were sought out

(Abalos et al., 2016). Difficulty and concern of involved the cost associated with long barangay distance travels

for beneficiaries living in communities far from an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) or physical bank office

where they withdrew their cash grants (Quimson, 2020). Similar case on the study of Lindholm (2016), some
beneficiaries living in rural areas uses public transportation to claim their cash-grant in the big cities. In areas

where public transportation is not available, they have to rent motorcycles with driver. Some beneficiaries have

also chosen to pawning of ATM cards even at the initial part of the 4Ps program.

In a study of Parrocho et al. (2019), financial problem with the involvement of the beneficiaries'

education, which is associated to the program's goal to poor families was found. Majority of the 4Ps

beneficiaries have low educational attainment, particular with female grantees being a housemaid and plain

housewives in which their productive life was spent more or less in their respective households if not idle. The

grantee’s source of income is among the least lucrative source of living. Their low educational attainment could

hardly warrant as a source of educational inputs to their children. Further, the cash assistance is more likely

spent on household consumption. In similar research, the student-beneficiaries' responses eventually led to

several factors why despite the financial support given, they quit school and decided not to continue. It may

sound unusual why despite the support extended by the government, still students cannot sustain their schooling,

when the financial burden has been lifted. Most of the participants in this study were from indigent families,

with parents who earn lower than the minimal income. Family reasons related to their living conditions as the

pressing factor that cause the school dropping, the opposite of the demand-side of the program delivering

support, was mentioned. The factor highlighted was due to family living conditions, the desire to help the

parents and siblings. Despite the fact that there was the financial assistance, the beneficiaries weighed the

benefit of dropping out from school and work to help their parents (Lluz, 2020). A different case on the paper of

Once et al. (2019) found the struggling of parent beneficiaries with financial literacy especially in allocating

budget for food, education, hospitalization or medicine, and savings. The researchers' data provided implications

that only few of the cash given assistance went to children’s education. The 4Ps objectives with the priority of

the budget allocated should be for the health and education of poor children were not performed.

In the study of Balacuit Jr. (2018), two of the top three prevalent problems met in the implementation of

4Ps mentioned was the dependence of parent-beneficiaries on the government financial assistance wherein they

do not work anymore, and the cash transfer not being downloaded on time. Based on another researchers, every
month, beneficiaries get a subsidy worth P1,400 if they are compliant with DSWD’s guidelines. However, the

scheduled release of the subsidy was sometimes delayed. There is also a tenacious perception that the 4Ps is

encouraging beneficiaries to be lazy since they were dependent on the government subsidy (Abalos et al., 2016).

Other concerns stated that is observed was the discrimination faced by the 4Ps student-grantees and the 5-year

period of the program is deemed to be short. The Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program has indeed helped

beneficiaries attain its basic objectives in the short run. The challenge, however, lies on what will happen to the

beneficiaries after the program ends.

The researchers gathered data necessary in the assessment of the Philippines' CCT for the success of the

study in improving the implementation and efficacy of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) so the

beneficiaries can attain economic sustainability for a longer time. The problems and difficulties stated from

previous researches might be aligned and sight similarities to the data gathered. The findings of this study could

prove the issues and concerns of the beneficiaries found from these related literatures and studies that are seek to

be addressed, along with knowing the views, suggestions, and recommendations from beneficiary feedback that

was performed by the researchers which will be viable in increasing cash grant and/or providing other

alternatives in minimizing dependence and learning to properly handle money.

 Chapter 3

Methodology

This chapter describes and discusses how the researchers will gather the necessary data and information

that will be use in the entire study. It contained the research design, research locale, sampling technique,

research participants, research instruments, data collection, data analysis and ethical consideration.

Research Design

This study is Qualitative research, it is associated with narrative inquiry that records the experiences of

an individual or small group, revealing the lived experience or particular perspective of that individual, usually

primarily through interview which is then recorded and ordered into a chronological narrative. The research is

based on identifying the problems and difficulties encountered by the 4Ps beneficiaries on the implementation

of the program as well as to learn about their perspectives on the Philippine social cash transfer program.

Through narrative inquiry, unique perspectives and deeper understanding of the situation can be revealed. This

will give voice to the recipients of aid whose perspective is not often sought.

Qualitative research is generally more explorative, a type of research that is dependent on the collection

of verbal, behavioral or observational data that can be interpreted in a subjective manner. This study uses

Narrative design, a design that focuses about narrative and detailed storytelling for the course of data collection,

wherein the researchers aim for an in-depth study and interpretation of the meanings that small sample of

beneficiaries ascribe to their experiences and concerns, as opposed to a community.

Research Locale

The study was conducted in Tarlac City, which is a first-class component city and the capital of the

province of Tarlac in the Philippines. This location was selected to learn about the respective livelihood and

living standards of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) beneficiaries aligned with the program's

objectives and goals, as well as to learn about their perspectives and to assess the program's lacking and room

for improvement. The research study was implemented knowing the partnership of DSWD with the city
government of Tarlac for providing livelihood assistance to the beneficiaries, which is suitable for obtaining and

collecting the recipients’ feedback regarding its implementation.

Sampling Technique

Research Participants

Research Instruments

Data Collection

Data Analysis

Data from the interview were transcribed and analyzed through narrative analysis. Researchers use narrative

analysis to understand how research participants construct story and narrative from their own personal

experience.

The researchers invited the respondents to participate in our study in a considerate manner. They

explained to them the purpose of our study as well as the guidelines in conducting the interview. The

researchers also respected the decisions of some participants and did not force them to participate on our study.

They set an appointment for an interview to those who gave their consents.

Ethical Consideration

The information that was used in this research were the individual views of participants on the issues

related to the subject. Hence, in the interest of future predicaments that may arose based on the impressions of

the readers, the identities of the participants were not divulged in this study. The researcher reserved the right to

protect the participants and the confidentiality of their responses in general.