SUBIC BAY FREEPORT, Philippines — A total of P313.34 million was used last year by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to fund pro-poor programs in Central Luzon, officials said Wednesday.

According to DSWD regional information officer Evelyn Manalo, P106.75 million was given to the 28,555 household beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilya; P9.23 million was given to the 1,715 recipients of the Self Employment Assistance-Kaunlaran (SEA-K); P859,000 for the 117 recipients of the SEA-K Family Enterprise; P24.09 million for the 7,841 grantees for the Social Pension; P131.72 million for 135,796 recipients of the Supplemental Feeding; and P40.78 million for the 14,505 beneficiaries of the Cash-for-Work (CFW).

Pantawid Pamilya provides a household with three qualified children a subsidy of P1,400 per month during the school months (from June to March the following year) and P500 per month during non-school months (April and May) as long as they comply with certain conditions like the regular visit of children in health centers for their immunization, and maintenance of a class attendance rate of at least 85 percent per month for those who are enrolled in day-care centers or schools.

The SEA-K is a capability building program that seeks to enhance the skills of poor families through the organization of community-based associations for entrepreneurial development.

SEA-K group projects range from food processing (tocino, longganisa) to bag-making.

The Social Pension provides a monthly stipend of P500 to indigent senior citizens aged 77 years old and above who are not receiving any pension, without any permanent source of income and have no regular support from relatives, while the Supplement Feeding gives nutritious food to day-care children.

The CFW recipients work on identified community projects for 11 days which earn them P3,146 or P286 per day.

The work of the project’s beneficiaries includes river dredging and embankment, repair of small-scale irrigation, and tree-planting and other reforestation activities.