GENERAL SANTOS CITY — Beneficiaries of the government’s flagship conditional cash transfer program in Region 12 could receive an increase in subsidies next year with the expected passage of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion bill.
Bai Zorahayda Taha, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)-Region 12 director, said Tuesday their central office is currently working on raising the monthly subsidies of the beneficiaries to cope with the prevailing socio-economic situation.
She said the move would directly benefit the “poorest of the poor” households in the region who are covered by the initiative, which is also known as the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program or 4Ps.
The official said acting DSWD Secretary Emmanuel Leyco had disclosed that they are proposing a permanent increase for the monthly or yearly subsidies of the 4Ps beneficiaries.
The proposed subsidy increase was pegged at around P200 to P300 per month, she said.
Taha said a total of 231,150 families are covered under the regular 4Ps within Region 12’s four provinces and five cities.
Some 22,192 of these are tribal or indigenous peoples’ families that were included in the program’s expansion or modified component, she said.
Also known as Soccsksargen, Region 12 comprises the provinces of South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and North Cotabato, and the cities of Koronadal, Tacurong, Kidapawan and Cotabato.
Program beneficiaries in the region have welcomed the subsidy increase proposed by the agency.
Saina Kulan, a parent leader in Lake Sebu town in South Cotabato province, said the additional subsidy is a big help in terms of coping with their daily expenses.
“We expect that the prices of commodities will go up with the (approval of the) new tax reform bill so any increase in our monthly subsidy will really help us,” she said in a statement.
4Ps is a poverty reduction and social development strategy of the national government that provides conditional cash grants to “poorest of the poor” households to improve their health, nutrition and education.
It provides beneficiaries cash grants of P500 a month for health and nutrition expenses and P300 a month per child for educational expenses, as well as P600 in monthly rice subsidy.
The modified program covers families and children who are in difficult situations and those in “pockets of poverty” not covered by the regular 4Ps.(Anna liza Cabrido/PNA)