QUEZON CITY, Philippines – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) maintained that the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) remains beneficial to poor Filipinos.
“Pagka tinanggal mo yung pantawid benefits sa kanila marami ang magugutom. Marami ang sa kanila ang magiging masahol pa yung kanilang pamumuhay,” argued outgoing DSWD Officer-in-Charge Usec. Emannuel Leyco.
Leyco’s statement was in response to Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol’s proposal to convert the 4Ps to a loan program. Piñol argued that the fund may be utilized in a form of loans to 4P beneficiaries in order for them to establish their own small income source.
Leyco explained that many of the 4.4 million families-beneficiaries of 4Ps are living a better life because of the compensation they get from the program.
“Noong mga 2015, if I’m not mistaken, nagkaroon uli ng evaluation at meron silang naidentify na siguro mga 1.3 million households na pwede nang umangat,” explained Leyco.
But according to Rosario Bella Guzman of the Ibon Foundation, the government’s 4Ps did not help in alleviating poverty incidence in the country in the past 12 years.
“Ang poverty alleviation program ay dapat hindi nakatuon sa cash transfer. Dapat ito ay nakatuon sa paglikha ng isang ekonomiya na lumilikha talaga ng trabaho at nagbibigay ng isang nakabubuhay na sahod,” said Guzman.
Nevertheless, Ibon Foundation agrees with DSWD that the government should instead increase the budget of the Department of Agriculture (DA) so it will not eye on using the 4Ps fund.— Rey Pelayo
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