ROXAS CITY – A meeting with the Provincial Monitoring and Support Committee together with the Technical Staff of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office 6 regarding the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) conducted last March 22, 2011 at the Hall of Governors, Provincial Capitol here.

The 4Ps is a poverty reduction and social development strategy of the national government that provides conditional cash grants to extremely poor households to improve their health, nutrition and education particularly of children aged 0-14.

Gov. Victor A. Tanco believes that the 4Ps indeed a great help to the indigents of the province. “This program in line with the development agenda we have for the province, to help and empower the poor so that they will have a better life and a bright future,” he explained.

4Ps provides conditional cash grants to beneficiaries P6, 000 a year or P500 per month per household for health and nutrition expenses; and P3000 for one school year or 10 months or P300 /month per child for educational expenses. A maximum of three children per household is allowed.

A household with three qualified children receives a subsidy of P1, 400/month during the school year or P15, 000 annually as long as they comply with the conditions.

To avail of the cash grants, beneficiaries should comply with the following conditions which includes pre and post natal care for pregnant women and be attended during childbirth by a trained health professional, parents must attend family development sessions, O-5 year old children must receive regular preventive health check-ups and vaccines, 3-5 year old children must attend day care or preschool classes at least 85% of the time, 6-14 year old children must enroll in elementary or high school and must attend at least 85% of the time and lastly 6-14 years old children must receive deworming pills twice a year.

The meeting also discussed some details on Procedure for Inclusion Error Complaints and Grievance Redress System (GRS) delisting criteria of the 4Ps.

During the distribution of cash grants at the municipality of Pres. Roxas and Pilar, last March 15, 2011, Gov. Tanco asked for the recipients of the program to comply with the conditions stated in the program. “The government is now giving you a chance to uplift your lives, grab this opportunity and be inspired to rise above the ground of poverty,” Gov. Tanco added. (cppb)