434 Kalinga poor families receive gov’t cash grants

TABUK CITY, Kalinga - - Four hundred thirty-four poor families from three towns of this province received their first payout under the Modified Conditional Cash Transfer (MCCT) program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development in partnership with the International Association for Transformation (IAT).

Sison Paut, Chief Executive Officer of IAT, said the MCCT amounting to more than P1 million was sent through the Philippine Postal Corp. and delivered to IAT office for distribution.

He said out of the 458 identified beneficiaries, 434 appeared in person last week to receive the government assistance.

The beneficiaries were clustered as Area 1 covering Rizal with 79 recipient-families; Area 2 are 106 families from Nambaran, Lacnog, and Agbannawag; Area 3 are 74 households from Cudal, Bulanao, and San Juan; Area 4 are Balong, Appas, Magsaysay, Dilag, Sucbot of 84 total families; and Area 6 covering BadoDangwa, New Tanglag, Masablang, Lanna, Lucog, and Balawag with 91 poor families.

“Those who did not receive their money will get it next distribution date and those with double entry names are being corrected by DSWD,” Paut said.

The IAT proposed to DSWD to survey poor families who are not identified under the National Household targeting System (NHTS). IAT submitted 1,200 lists of poor families from the municipalities of Pinukpuk, Rizal and this city.

The listing was submitted to DSWD, however, only 458 were approved mostly belonging to migrant indigenous peoples.

“This initiative of IAT is in support to President Aquino’s public-private partnership program (PPP) through a convergence of efforts where non-government organizations and the private sector help government access the poor segment of society to social welfare benefits.

During the cash distribution, cereals and infant powdered milk were also given to MCCT beneficiary nursing mothers with 0-6 month old babies. “We distributed 20 boxes of infant supplement food provided by DSWD central office to 262 families with nursing mothers,” Paut said.

The MCCT, which is carried out in partnership with civil society groups, caters to poor families not covered by the benefits and conditions of the PantawidPamilyang Pilipino Program. It covers poor families with 0-14 years old who need special protection like street children, indigenous people, children with disabilities, child laborers, and those displaced by natural and man-made disasters. -- Peter A. Balocnit