4Ps payout resumes in BARMM after validation

COTABATO CITY -- Payout activities of the Department of Social Welfare’s (DSWD) Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) resumed Thursday under the new Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), with Malabang, Lanao del Sur as the starting point.

The expanded BARMM includes in its jurisdiction the areas of Maguindanao, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Basilan and Lanao del Sur; the cities of Cotabato, Lamitan and Marawi; and 63 villages in North Cotabato province.

Ministry of Social Services (MSS) – BARMM Minister Raissa Jajurie said the defunct Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao alone has more than 400,000 4Ps beneficiaries, excluding Cotabato City and the 63 villages of North Cotabato, which only voted for inclusion to the BARMM set up in a plebiscite early this year.

“Lanao del Sur has the highest number of beneficiaries at 21 percent of the total 4Ps beneficiaries in the region,” Jajurie said.

She said a massive validation of the number of 4Ps beneficiaries in the region had caused the delays in the scheduled payouts, as both the DSWD and MSS carefully detached the names of unqualified payees from the list.

“The beneficiaries would receive their 4Ps remunerations from 2017 to 2018, depending on the number of children each family has as dependents,” Jajurie said.

The 4Ps is a conditional cash transfer (CCT) program of the government under the DSWD to help reduce poverty by making welfare programs conditional upon the receivers' actions. The CCT criteria may include enrolling children in public schools, getting regular check-ups at the doctor's office, and receiving vaccinations.

Under the 4Ps program, the household-beneficiaries are given basic health and educational grants for the children. Each family is handed over a health grant of PHP500 per month or a total of PHP6,000 a year, and another PHP300 monthly education grant per child for a total of PHP3,000 for 10 months.

Jajurie said they will finalize the 4Ps payout for other parts of the region in the coming days.

Meanwhile, Ministry of the Interior and Local Government Minister Naguib Sinarimbo has ordered local government executives to render logistical support for the conduct of the 4Ps payouts, such as preparing venues for the activity.

Sinarimbo warned local officials not to meddle in any way with the 4Ps payout procedure. (PNA)