Beneficiaries of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program remains hopeful that the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) bill will turn into a law before the end of the 16th Congress.
Mark Harley P. Caspiz, 19, educational grantee of Expanded Student Grant in-aid Program for Poverty Alleviation (ESGP-PA), whose family is also a Pantawid Pamilya beneficiary bared that he is optimistic the Senators will approve the bill as it has helped improve the lives of many poor families.
It can be recalled that last February the House of Representatives approved on third and final reading a bill that would make the conditional cash transfer (CCT) program a permanent government anti-poverty program.
Voting 182 in favor with six negative votes, House Bill (HB) 6393 was approved on February 1, two days before the adjournment of the regular session.
Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program is the conditional cash transfer of the Philippine government that invests in the health and education of poor household with children ages 0-18. The program is run by Department of Social Welfare and Development.
In Central Visayas, the program has 190,780 household grantees with Cebu Province having the most number with 126,951, followed by Bohol Province with 59,994 and Siquijor with 3,835 as of March 2016.
“As a beneficiary and identified leader of ESGP-PA, I’m thankful to the government for implementing Pantawid Pamilya because it has help so many families in sending their children to school like me,” Caspiz shared during a recent provincial wide Unity Walk for the passage of CCT Bill done late last month in Siquijor, where about 2,000 beneficiaries joined the event.
“Let us hold on together for the positive change of our country. “Isulong ang Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program! Isabatas ang Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program para sa lahat, he further said.
The said event took place at Siquijor Capital Square and was organized by the parent leaders from the municipalities of Enrique Villanueva, Larena, Lazi, Maria, San Juan and Siquijor. Civil Society Organization representatives from National Auxiliary Chaplaincy of the Philippines and The Jesus Christ The Rock Of Refuge Foundation Inc. (JCTRORF) also joined the event.
Earlier, JCTRORF has also spearheaded the same event on February 6, 2016 in Cebu City with about 3,000 beneficiaries joining the event.
JCTRORF Inc., is among the active civil society organization partners of DSWD for the conduct of Family Development Session (FDS), a major conditionality in the implementation of Pantawid Pamilya.
We have been facilitators of FDS and we are witnesses on how this program have helped improved the lives of our poor brothers and sisters,” said Pastor Cristobal Encabo, JCTRORF Inc., Founding President.
Encabo disclosed that they have been partners with DSWD7 for the conduct of FDS since 2011.
“We facilitate FDS for free because we and the DSWD share the same mission that is to uplift the lives of the poor and needy, especially in times of calamity and disaster,” he stressed.
Pastor Edwin Kiamko, JCTRORF-FDS operations director for his part shared that their participation in FDS allowed them to help strengthen family spirituality by preaching the Gospel.
Mary Joy Maribojoc, 41, Pantawid Pamilya grantee for seven years now also shared that the program helped her address the school needs of her children.
“The program aid me in raising my children because I have been a solo parent for 16 years now after my husband was jailed,” said Maribojoc, a mother of six.
Three of her children Marynel, 17, Nathaniel, 11 and Jon, 9, are monitored beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilya.
Mary Joy disclosed that the financial grant she received from Pantawid Pamilya and the topics discussed during FDS helped her in facing the challenges of motherhood.
Moreover, both Encabo and Kiamko earlier cited that the making of CCT Bill into law will be a legacy of President Benigno Simeon Aquino III, whose term will end by next month. ###
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