As the flagship
anti-poverty program of the Aquino admnsitration, the Pangtawid Pampamilyang
Pilipino Program (4Ps) seeks to uplift the living conditions of the poorest of
the poor, that is, those who eke out a hand-to-mouth existence on a daily
basis.
If we're to
believe the implementing agency of 4Ps, the Department of Social Welfare and
Development (DSWD), it is working.
In fact, a study
by the World Bank in 2014 showed that the program has been able to increase the
income of partner beneficiaries and to move them closer to the minimum income
level needed to overcome poverty. The report also said that per peso cash
grant, the poverty gap has been reduced by 61 centavos.
This year's
World Bank State of Safety Nets study also concluded that the implementation of
social safety net programs such as Pantawid Pamilya had helped reduce the
poverty gap by 15 percent.
Moreover, 4Ps
has been successful in encouraging school attendance, promoting preventive health
check ups and improving maternal health which are all important factors to
break the cycle of poverty.
The political
opposition and militant groups, however, have pounced on 4Ps as a band-aid
solution to poverty, and that the long-term solution lies in employment
generation rather than hand-outs. But
the DSWD's stand that 4Ps is really helping the poor is not unfounded.
The 4Ps program
for this year will cover a total of 4.6 million families with a budget of
P62.665 billion. We should let it continue to serve the poorest of the poor but
at the same time ensure that the money really goes to the intended
beneficiaries. –End-
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