4Ps programs continue despite pandemic

CEBU, Philippines —  Despite the pandemic, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)-7 did not stop conducting Family Development Sessions (FDS) for the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program partner-beneficiaries.

DSWD-7, in a statement, said that FDS is one of the conditions under the 4Ps program that gathers partner-beneficiaries once a month to discuss various development topics.

The FDS aims to enhance and acquire new skills and knowledge of 4Ps partner-beneficiaries in responding to their parental roles and responsibilities, particularly on the health and nutrition, education, protection, and psychosocial needs of children; promote positive family values, strengthen marital relationships, and active citizenship for community empowerment among others.

The DSWD-7 has looked for alternative ways in delivering the different FDS modules through text message, social media post through its DSWD official Facebook and Twitter accounts, FDS On-the-Air through partner television and radio stations and printed materials to be delivered to their respective homes.

The department has been doing this since it is not yet feasible to gather a large crowd of people at this point in time.

Meanwhile, the department said that, starting last month, the monitoring of all compliance among the 4Ps beneficiaries has resumed following the lifting of the “force majeure” enforced in March this year.

It said that this is to prepare for the new normal in relation to the implementation of the program.

The program has suspended the monitoring of compliance covering the payout period for health and for education, allowing the beneficiaries to receive the maximum cash benefit allotted to cope with the public health crisis.

DSWD-7 said that the payout of cash grants covers two-months starting with P1 (February-March), P2 (April-May), P3 (June-July), P4 (August-September), P5 (October-November) and P6 (December-January).

It added that cash grants of the 4Ps beneficiaries will be computed based on their compliance with each of the program conditions.

The program conditions include enrollment and attendance of children aged three to 18 years old in school, deworming of at least twice a year for children aged one to 14 years old, pre and post-natal check-ups for women, preventive check-ups to children aged five, and below and attendance to the monthly FDS of at least one responsible person in the household.

In the law, households may receive P750 for compliance on health and FDS; children monitored by the program in elementary will receive P300 while those in junior high receive P500 and P700 for children in senior high school.

The cash grants are computed on a monthly basis.  Education grants, however, cover only 10 months per school year, benefiting a maximum of three children for every household.

Each compliant household also receives a rice subsidy of P600 per month and a TRAIN law subsidy of P3,600 through the Unconditional Cash Transfer (UCT) program.

Currently, Central Visayas has 279,943 4Ps partner beneficiaries. — GAN (FREEMAN)