DSWD: Gov’t Serves Without Boundaries
By
ALI G. MACABALANG
August
29, 2012, 5:55pm
COTABATO
CITY – The government through the Department of Social Welfare and
Development (DSWD) has enlisted in the last seven months some 55,000
more poor households in Region-12 as fresh beneficiaries of its
conditional cash transfer (CCT) program, covering this time active
members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
In a
report, Gemma Rivera of the DSWD-12 said they have so far served a
total of 198,000 “poorest of the poor” households in the region
that were covered by the government’s flagship initiative Pantawid
Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).
The
program, which forms part of the government’s anti-poverty
convergence strategy, is being implemented in 32 municipalities and
two cities in the region.
Region-12
covers the provinces of South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani,
and North Cotabato, and the cities of General Santos, Koronadal,
Cotabato, Kidapawan, and Tacurong.
Rivera,
the 4Ps deputy program manager for Region-12, said the beneficiaries
included families of active members of the MILF in the area.
“We
have no borders. We don’t care if they (beneficiaries) have
relatives in any rebel organization. What we are concerned with is
the plight of their children,” she explained.
The
government is engaged in peace negotiations with the MILF and is
hoping to sign a final peace agreement with the rebel group within
this year.
Zorahayda
Taha, DSWD Region-12 director, said the program’s expansion is
currently ongoing based on an earlier commitment made by President
Aquino.
She
said they’re targeting to enlist a total of 96,695 additional
household-beneficiaries this year in 15 identified expansion areas in
the region.
In
January, the agency initially validated an additional 55,912
households in the region as beneficiaries of the program.
The
additional beneficiaries comprised 24,268 households in North
Cotabato, 22,415 in South Cotabato, and 5,271 in Sultan Kudarat.
4Ps
is a poverty reduction and social development strategy of the
national government that provides conditional cash grants to the
“poorest of the poor” households to improve their health,
nutrition, and education – particularly children aged zero to 14
years.
The
program provides beneficiaries cash grants of P500 a month for health
and nutrition expenses, and P300 a month per child for educational
expenses.
A
household with three qualified children could get P1,400 monthly.
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Let
me make my reflection brief and straight to the point. What DSWD did
is just right for those who are under the marginal sector of life.
Specially in region 12 that covers the province of Koronadal, South
Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Kidapawan, and etc. This will minimize the
problem of the current government about poverty. We were thankful of
Mr. P-Noy as our president right now. Even though his new in the
position of being a president, he manage to decrease the increasing
number of poverty in our country. I know that its only the beginning
for the Aquino administration. It is still a long way for the Aquino
administration but at least they manage to show to other people what
the administrations prioritizing, which is trying to decrease the
number of poverty.
The
Administration secures that the money or the budget that is to be
distributed to the "poorest of the poor" families will not
go in the pocket of some corrupt politicians. They are doing it
through the 4Ps or the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program. It
is a conditional cash transfer program that provides incentives for
poor families to invest in their future by ensuring that mothers and
children avail of healthcare and that children go to school. As such,
it is a human development program that invests in the health and
education of children.
The
Aquino Administration is trying to lessen the increasing number of
poverty, through providing jobs for the "poorest of the poor".
The administration is just not simply giving money or cash to this
families. Providing jobs for them is I think one of the best
solutions to control poverty in our community. The families will not
be dependent on the money that will be given to them, instead they
will try to persevere for their families needs to be sustained so
that they can earn more income.
This
4Ps is not new to the administration. As I said, the Aquino
Administration is just new. Maybe they will develop new and useful
programs for our fellow poor Filipino families that will help them to
gain more income to help them sustain their daily needs. But the
government also needs our cooperation to make a successful and
peaceful community. Lets be cooperative!!.
"Give a little bit of your love for the poor. There is so much that we need to share, so send a smile and show you care. Give a little bit of your time for the poor. See the child with a lonely eyes, take his hand, and you'll be surprised."
"Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the LORD your God." Leviticus 19:10
