by Claro A. Lanipa
The poverty reduction program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) may have a lot of conditions to meet before one can avail of it. These conditions maybe difficult for a beneficiary to meet, but one thing is sure, it is now making headway in alleviating the lives of poor families.
Program Implementation in ZamboSur
The Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, better known as 4Ps, started its implementation in the province of Zamboanga del Sur in May 2009, initially covering twelve (12) municipalities with high poverty incidence.
It consisted of approximately 29,855 beneficiaries in the two (2) congressional districts of the province.
Following the expansion program in the last quarter of 2009, three additional municipalities were included increasing the number of beneficiaries to more or less 38,262 or about 8,407 beneficiaries were added.
P-Noy’s priority agenda
In his second State of the Nation Address (SONA) last July, President Benigno S. Aquino III ordered DSWD to expand the program to two million beneficiaries for 2011. Zamboanga del Sur got a share of about 27,940 beneficiaries. To date, the province has a beneficiary base of approximately 64,575.
Impact to beneficiaries
Pantawid Pamilya Parent Leader Nenita Arsenal-Torrecampo, a native of Dumalinao, this province said, “ang 4P’s dako kaayo ug natabang sa mga grupo sa mga kababayen-an ilabi na gayud sa relasyon sa isig ka inahan,” (4P’s is of big help to the women’s group especially our relationship among mothers).
“The program instills parents’ responsibility in bringing up our children by way of sending them to school regularly. It is also part of the requirements for us to comply as a beneficiary,” Torrecampo added.
“Ang 4P’s dako kaayo ug natabang kanamo nga kabus, kay ang mga bata nga wala naka eskuwela kaniadto karon naka-eskuwela na gayud ug malipayon sila,”
(4P’s provided a big help to us. Before, some of our children who were not able to go to school are now enrolled in school and they are so happy) PL Torrecampo narrated.
“The health growth of our children are being monitored regularly, and most of all the number of malnourished children are reduced.
Parent beneficiaries were encouraged to engage in individual gardening which includes communal gardening to sustain our nutritional food requirements. To advance and boost our knowledge, parents are required to attend a monthly family development session facilitated by the teachers in our respective schools,” Torrecampo concluded.
Meanwhile, 11-year old Vea Andus Lumosad, grade six pupil of Diplo Elementary School and a resident of Picanan, Kumalarang, Zamboanga del Sur struggled hard to finish her education.
A daughter of a 4P’s beneficiary and the second child in a family of five, Vea said she saw the efforts made by her mother but it was to no avail. Everything she earned was just enough buy food and milk for her younger siblings.
Yet young Vea said, “moadto mi sa eskuwelahan walay balon, bisan na lang para ipalit ug candy” (we go to school without a single centavo in our pocket, nothing even to buy candy). We take our meal even without viand , and oftentimes only dried fish. If we have obligations in school, I beg my “lola” and sometimes my auntie,” narrated Vea.
“When Pantawid Pamilya Pilipino Program came to us, it slowly lightened the economic burden of our family. With the release of the financial assistance on a quarterly basis, we can immediately buy our needs for our schooling to include our vitamins. Our mother saves a little amount for our pocket money in going to school,” the young Andus said.
She said the difference before and today with the Pantawid Pamilya can be seen in each of the household beneficiaries. “Gamay apan dako and ikatabang” (small but surely a big help).
“I wish to thank my parents for faithfully following the obligations set by the program. I also thank the national government, our Governor and our Congresswoman and local officials for making this program available to the poor.”
Vea dreams of becoming a teacher someday. She hopes the program will be sustained until she fulfills her dream.
Program Partners/Convergence
On the other hand, San Miguel Central School Principal said through the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, parents have learned to internalize their role and became more responsible thru the Family Development Seminars (FDS) as adopted by the different facilitators.
It has also drawn their active participation in all community and school activities as well as settles school obligations on time. Vices among parents were also minimized, Librea said.
As to the impact on school children, they become aware of their role and functions in the family and assured of meeting their needs in school with the release of the CCT cash allocation. Increase in participation rate and enrollment of pupils from kindergarten to grade six was also noticeable. To cap it all, a decreased absenteeism and drop-out rate resulting to improved overall performance, Librea added.
DepEd Schools Division Superintendent Visminda Serrato affirmed the statements of Librea saying that because of the implementation of 4P’s in the province, enrolment rate tremendously increased.
She made mention in particular the kindergarten, wherein the entire division has only 15 regular teachers. As this developed, the department has adopted the so-called Kindergarten Volunteer Program to handle the 871 classes catering to 20,062 kindergarten schoolchildren, Serrato disclosed.
DSWD-IX Regional Director Teodulo R. Romo, Jr. commented that “there no program or agency of the government that can solely resolve poverty. The only effective way to address this problem sustainably is the convergence of all of us.”
He urged the local chief executives and partner line agencies to join hands in addressing this problem thru our available programs for intended beneficiaries. Let us not be dependent on the Pantawid Pamilya program, we have to provide them other means to sustain and uplift their economic condition.
He also challenged the parents to use the cash allocation for its intended purpose and not squander the money for selfish reasons. (ALT/CAL-PIA9/Zambo Sur)
