AT LEAST 75,446 households that are below the poverty line in Central Visayas will receive assistance through the government’s Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).
Shalaine Lucero, director of Department of Social Welfare and Development in Central Visayas (DSWD 7), said they initially had listed 90,242 households but only 75,446 were pronounced as part of the program after in-depth validation.
The validation process included the families’ submission of documents during the community assembly and house-to-house visits that began in February 2023.
"It is important to include them in the 4Ps because our intention in the 4Ps is to stop the intergenerational cycle of poverty by bringing the children to school and making the family healthy," said Lucero.
She said they are capitalizing on children to improve the lives of their family by providing assistance to 4Ps households so that those who are below the poverty line can afford to take their kids to school.
A household with three children receives around P1,400, or a total of P15,000 every year for a maximum period of seven years.
Potential households that were initially considered for the conditional cash grants are required to submit certificates of marriage, birth, health, and school enrollment, as well as valid proof of identification (ID) or other alternate documents to support their registration.
Of the total 4Ps beneficiaries in the region, 44.87 percent or 33,859 were from Cebu Province, 26,742 or 35.44 percent were from Negros Oriental, 14,803 or 18.66 percent were from Bohol, and only a percent or 762 were from Siquijor.
The 4Ps initiative of DSWD, which continues to reach more low income houses by substituting those who finished the program, intends to cover 4.4 million households nationwide.
Central Visayas currently has 315,505 households, or 7.17 percent of the 4.4-million nationwide target. (KJF)