CEBU CITY, Philippines - Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Corazon "Dingky" Soliman in her recent visit here announced that starting next year another 1.3 million families will benefit from the government's poverty-alleviation "Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program" (4Ps).
Soliman, who was here to have a dialogue with the beneficiaries of 4Ps and Self-Employment Assistance- Kaunlaran Program (SEA-K) made the announcement in line with the P34-billion proposed DSWD budget next year, in which the most of it will go to the said poverty alleviation programs.
Currently, there are about a million Filipino families who are direct 4Ps beneficiaries. Said program was launched in the previous Arroyo's administration.
Both SEA-K and 4Ps are among the Aquino government's top priority programs intended to address poverty in the country.
"By December this year, we will have covered one million families and by December next year the number is expected to reach a total 2.3 million families," said Soliman who was active in answering the queries of beneficiaries during their interaction with her late last week here.
Meanwhile, Soliman said the DSWD will improve the agency's Compliance Verification System (CVS), to avoid delays in the distribution of cash subsidies among 4P2 beneficiaries.
CVS is used to monitor compliance of 4Ps beneficiaries in line with program's terms and conditions, wherein pregnant mothers are obliged to visit health centers while children from age 6-14 must regularly attend classes.
"Instead of having it every three months, we will now have it every two months," she said.
The DSWD Secretary admitted that they have suffered problems with the system, but she assured that everything is now being fixed as the department is also gearing to enhance the delivery of its services especially in far-flung areas.
Soliman also added that they have forged links with remittance centers so that 4Ps beneficiaries living in rural areas with limited access to ATM machines can now easily get their cash assistance.
She also said that she accepted suggestions and recommendations from the dialogue participants, who, she said she encouraged to make good use of the cash benefits they will receive for their children's future.
There are about 51,281 4Ps beneficiaries in Central Visayas, 25,119 in Negros Oriental, 17,093 from Cebu, 8,520 from Bohol and 486 from Siquijor
