4Ps beneficiaries to get P200 more

CEBU, Philippines - Child beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development will get an additional differential of P200 to be used in the implementation of K to 12 Program.

This is on top of the P500 educational grant already given to qualified high school students enrolled in 4Ps.

 DSWD-7 has identified 133,846 households in Central Visayas with high school student beneficiaries, which are qualified for the educational grant and the latest additional cash. The policy enhancement took effect January 2014.

 This additional cash assistance wants to ensure that beneficiaries finish high school, taking into account the K-12 system of the Department of Education.

 High school beneficiaries who were compliant with the educational conditionality of the program from January to April this year will receive P800 each.

 After the differential payout, the additional P200 educational grant will now be automatically included in the regular grant of the beneficiaries.

With this development, high school Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries shall now receive P500 as monthly educational grant, while those in elementary will continue to have the P300 assistance.

In Cebu province, a total of 64,433 4Ps household with high school students were identified as beneficiaries of the additional educational grant, followed by Bohol with 36,695, Negros Oriental with 30,479 and Siquijor with 2,239.

Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program provides cash grants to poor households with children 0-18 years old and/or pregnant mothers, provided that they comply with the conditions set by the program.

Part of its conditions include day-care and school enrollment attendance equivalent to 85 percent of the total school days for children 3 to 18 years old.  (FREEMAN)