The Department of Social Welfare and Development 6 (DSWD-6) is set to pay the cash grants of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) beneficiaries through the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) by May 2018.
This includes, Over-the-Counter (OTC) payout for cash grants under Period 6 (January 2018) and the P2,400 (P200 per month) (Unconditional Cash Transfer (UCT) while cash grants for Period 6 (December 2017) will be paid on the next payout period.
The synchronization arrangement for the payout for the 4Ps or Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) and 2018 UCT has caused the delayed payment of grant.
“We are glad that finally, operational problems were fixed and we can pay the beneficiaries by next month,” said Rebecca P. Geamala, regional director.
The UCT is a component of the national government’s Tax Reform forAcceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) program that aims to assist indigent Filipinos who will be affected by the rising prices because of the implementation of the new tax reform program.
As stipulated in the TRAIN act, DSWD will implement the UCT scheme for three years. It will release P2,400 (P200 per month) in 2018 and a total of P3,600 (P300 per month) in 2019 and in 2020. P24 billion has been earmarked for the 2018 UCT implementation in the FY 2018 GAA.
As it is, 10 million households/individuals will receive the UCT. Of this figure, 4.4 million are Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries.
DSWD has already paid the 1.8 million 4Ps beneficiaries with cash cards last January 31, 2018. The remaining 2.6 million Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries without cash cards will receive the grants through partner conduits this May.
Also included in the 10 million UCT beneficiaries are three million indigent senior citizens nationwide who are also beneficiaries of Social Pension Program which is being implemented with the help of Local Government Units (LGUs) and Special Disbursing Officers (SDOs).
The remaining 2.6 million households nationwide will be selected from the Listahanan or National Household Targeting System (NHTS-PR) which will go through validation.
In the region, there are 316, 827 household beneficiaries being monitored by the program./dswd6/Montesa Caoyonan