- The conditional cash transfer (CCT) program locally known as Pantawid Pamilya Pilipino Program, or 4Ps, is a government program that provides conditional cash grants to the poorest of the poor in the Philippines. The program aims to break the cycle of poverty by keeping children aged 0-18 healthy and in school, so they can have a better future.
- The program is implemented by the Department of Social Welfare and Development, with the Department of Health, the Department of Education and the National Economic and Development Authority as partners.
- Households receive cash grants if children stay in school and get regular health check-ups, have their growth monitored, and receive vaccines. Pregnant women must get pre-natal care, with their births attended to by professional health workers. Parents or guardians are required to participate in monthly community-based Family Development Sessions to learn about positive child discipline, disaster preparedness, and women’s rights.
- Beneficiaries are objectively selected through the National Household Targeting System, also known as Listahanan, which is based from a survey of the physical structure of their houses, the number of rooms and occupants, their access to running water, and other factors affecting their living conditions.
- The program has one of the most comprehensive poverty targeting databases in the world today, covering 75% of the country’s population. It has been used extensively to identify poor and near-poor beneficiaries for national and local government programs.
- Started in 2007, the government expanded the program in December 2016 to reach a total of 20 million Filipinos belonging to 4.4 million households. The program benefits about 20% of the population, the majority of the nation’s poor.
- 9 million children are currently benefiting from the program, 1.9 million of which are in high school. The program has also achieved almost universal enrollment for elementary age children of 4Ps households.
- Social protection programs, Pantawid included, have cushioned the poor from the adverse impacts of various shocks the country experienced over the past six years. A study estimates that the program has led to a poverty reduction of 1.4 percentage points per year or 1.5 million less poor Filipinos.
- The 4Ps is currently the world’s fourth-largest CCT program based on population coverage. It complements the government’s other development priorities such as generating jobs and creating livelihood opportunities for the poor.
General Impact
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Health
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Education
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Local Economies
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