MARAWI CITY, Jan. 4 — Residents of Marawi City covered by the country’s conditional cash transfer program who were displaced last year in the five-month war need not to worry about losing their monthly stipend from the state for failing to fulfill conditions set by the program.
Bai Zorahayda T. Taha, regional director of Department of Social Welfare and Development in Region 12, said Thursday their recommendation was approved and the central office extended the suspension of all conditions of 12,000 beneficiaries of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino program from March to December this year.
Under CCT, children aged 3 to 18 have to stay in school and maintain class attendance of at least 85 percent each month.
At the same time, pregnant women are also required to avail pre- and post-natal care, and delivery must be assisted by skilled health personnel, while parents are mandatory to take “family development sessions” to enable them to become better parents.
Dir. Taha said DSWD officer-in-charge Undersecretary Emmanuel Leyco recently announced the development for the program.
“Meaning, even they are not not attending schools or not going to health clinics, or not even attending the family development sessions, they will be receiving their monthly grants,” she added.
Dennis Domingo, DSWD regional information officer, said the suspension only shows the government will not abandon people in Marawi while they are rebuilding their lives after the war last year.
“The office will focus on the bringing back, recovery and re-establishing the human infrastructure that was very much affected during the conflict in Marawi City,” he said.
Jackia Lao, DSWD 12 assistant regional director for administration, said aside from the cash grants the office also providing several programs for the residents that include social pension, supplementary feeding and sustainable livelihood schemes.
Lao, who is overseeing the program implementation in Marawi, said based on their records
around 18,478 families (92,390 people) have returned to Marawi.
“But residents in the main battle areas cannot return yet as the military continues their clearing missions for bombs,” she said.