CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (PIA) – The early beginnings of the national government’s Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program or 4Ps may have been tough but proved to be valuable not only to the beneficiaries but also to the department.

As the key implementer of the poverty alleviation program of the government, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) faced enormous challenges in upholding a fair and beneficial program that will ease poverty in the country.

As this developed, the department has been able to serve some 700,000 poor households nationwide in 2009, and in Region 10 alone, a total of P280 million cash grants has already been released to at least 63,210 beneficiaries. Since the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program does not solely dwell on giving out conditional cash grants, systems for Compliance Verification, Updates, and Grievance Redress were also made to ensure that the program’s goal in fostering improved health and education are met.

As a good start for this year, 4Ps has been expanded to serve at least one million beneficiaries throughout the country which include an additional 10,000 beneficiaries from the region. DSWD officials disclosed that the expansion covered the municipalities of Cabanglasan, Damulog, Kitaotao, Malitbog, and San Fernando in the province of Bukidnon; Sagay in Camiguin; Alubijid, Manticao, and Claveria in Misamis Oriental, and three cities in the region that include Iligan City, Cagayan de Oro City, and Tangub City.

Bearing in mind the initial gains of the program that include the increased rates in enrolment and number of visits in health centers, and active participation as well as intensified community involvement of the beneficiaries during family development sessions, the DSWD is positive that the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program will definitely pave the way towards development.