MALAPATAN, Sarangani, April 19 — A senior government official assured Wednesday the monthly financial grants of beneficiaries under the state’s anti-poor program, adding steps are also being taken to strengthen efforts to help people below poverty line.
“We will help all of you just like what President Duterte wanted to see that all can stand on your own two feet,” DSWD USEC. Ma. Lourdez Turalde-Jarabe said as she visited the village of Patag here.
“We are working how we can address some of your concerns like potable water, school buildings and materials. But for now, your grants will continue as well the money intended to buy for the rice. See to it you have your own backyard gardens, children must be in school and attend the family development sessions,” she added.
Apart from the financial grants, households who are active and compliant with the program conditions are entitled to receive the additional P600.00 for the rice subsidy.
USEC. Turalde-Jarabe, leading the office’s National Advisory Committee (NAC) with partners from other national government agencies , conducted a house-to-house visit among residents covered by Conditional Cash Transfer to get their views on how to improve government’s social protection programs.
“I understand why there are those pawning their cash cards because everybody get their grants every two months. What i cannot understand there are clients using the money for gambling, for their vice as well to illegal drugs,” she said.
DSWD 12 regional director Bai Zorahayda Taha explained the visit aims to provide venue for the committees to discuss Pantawid Program implementation issues/concerns and identify corresponding policy recommendations and operational improvements.
Dir. Taha said USEC. Turalde-Jarabe spent time with beneficiaries and conducted a focus group discussion with them where the clients raised their concerns in the project implementation.
However, Dir. Taha said if there were issues mentioned in the focus group discussion, there were also positive feedbacks.
“I talked to some of the residents in the community and i am happy because ion the dramatic changes in their lives. They were able to buy their own appliances and put up small business,” Dir. Taha said.
Juliet Clavel, CCT program coordinator, said members of NAC would continue their house-to-house visit tomorrow, April 20, in this town where 5,000 households are currently covered under CCT.
Specifically, Clavel said the NAC team would look into the transition of exiting beneficiaries and on implementation concerns of children beneficiaries enrolled in senior high school.
In Region 12, there are more than 250,000 beneficiaries under the program that requires recipients to send children to public schools and mothers to regularly visit public health centers.
In exchange of that, the program gives each household a P500 monthly allowance to subsidize its basic food needs and additional P300 for every child that goes to school. At least three children from a family can get the school allowance. (End)