DSWD suspends cash-out for 4Ps beneficiaries

THE Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is temporarily suspending the payment of cash transfers to beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) for three months starting March 2013 until May 2013 in deference to the May 13 midterm elections.

DSWD Regional Director Evelyn Macapobre assured the beneficiaries will receive a cash grant bonanza for three months by June 2013, as the department will resume its responsibility of cash transfers in time for school opening in June.

The months of April and May are also school vacations for children.

Macapobre announced that the entire provinces, cities and municipalities of Western Visayas are now fully covered by the program with the last Set 6 areas composed of 15 municipalities and their local chief executives signed a memorandum of agreement with DSWD last February 28.

The Set 6 areas are Kalibo and Numancia in the province of Aklan; Belison and San Jose in the province of Antique; Guimbal, Leganes, Oton, Pavia, San Miguel and Sta. Barbara in the province of Iloilo; Buenavista in the province of Guimaras; and Pontevedra, Pulupandan, San Enrique and Valladolid in Negros Occidental.

As of February 2013, the Pantawid program in Western Visayas has a total of 295,127 household beneficiaries in 133 cities and municipalities. Negros Occidental and cities has the most number of beneficiaries at 110,338; followed by Iloilo province and cities with 85,335.

The other beneficiaries are 37,205 families in Capiz and 1 city; 28,194 in Antique, 26,252 in Aklan and 7,803 in Guimaras.

Cash grants released for the beneficiary families from 2010 to 2012 totaled P3.484 billion, covering P3.273 billion for the provinces of Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Guimaras, Iloilo and Negros Occidental; and P210.2 million covering the highly urbanized cities of Bacolod and Iloilo.