P56 M cash released to 4Ps Ifugao families

By Daniel Codamon

LAGAWE, Ifugao –A total P56,897,900 cash grant assistance  was released by  the Department of Social Welfare and Development to the beneficiaries of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) in the province for the year 2013.

WilfredaTayaban, the DSWD’s Provincial Link of the 4Ps in Ifugao, said as of October 2013, the said total amount covering the  five of the six periods of 2013 was given to 9,149 poorest of the poor households (HHs) beneficiaries for 15,629 individual beneficiaries as health and education financial assistance.

The remaining cash grant disbursement, also known as  conditional cash transfer (CCT) for the months of November and December, 2013 will be released this February.

The municipality of Aguinaldo had the biggest share of the fund amounting to P13,626,400 for its 1,353 HH beneficiaries followed by Alfonso Lista with P8,290,200.00 for its 1,462 HH beneficiaries, and  Lamut with P7,760,200.00 for the 1,102 HH.

The other towns namely  Asipulo, Tinoc, Banaue, Mayoyao, Kiangan, Lagawe, Hingyon and  Hungduan have less than a thousand HH beneficiaries each.

Eligible HHs  are entitled  to receive a minimum of P500.00 per month to a maximum of P1,400.00 per month in households with a maximum of three children eligible for the education grant.

The education grant is P300/month per child to benefit a maximum of three children aged 6-14 years old including the day care and pre-school children.

The health grant is  P500 per month to a household with a pregnant woman at the time of the registration or with children 0-14 years old.

These grants are released every two months to the HH beneficiaries for the duration of their participation in the program subject to their compliance with the program conditions such as health and nutrition where pregnant household members visit local health centers to avail of pre and post natal care and children 0-5 years old should also visit the local health centers to avail of immunization, monthly weighing monitoring and nutrition counseling.

The other conditions are education wherein children 3-5 years old should be enrolled in a day care or pre-school program and maintain a class attendance rate of at least 85 percent per month and. They should also attend at least once a month family development sessions to nurture families to meet their familial and parental responsibilities.