Cong. Sarmiento discloses DSWD "check and balance task" through 4Ps Grievance Committee

By GINA DEAN-RAGUDO, Samar News.com
October 26, 2010

CALBAYOG CITY, Samar  –  To ensure success in the implementation of 4Ps (Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program) which is a conditional cash transfer intended for those living below the poverty threshold, there is an online grievance committee created by the Department of Social Welfare and Development Office disclosed by First District Representative Mel Senen S. Sarmiento.

While said program is on the stage of releasing funds to more or less 9,000 family-beneficiaries in Calbayog City, qualifications of other enrollees were allegedly being questioned while the “loan shark operation” also surfaced.

Sarmiento admitted that mortality rate could not be avoided but it is generally successful as the program was formulated with the purpose of providing subsidy per month in the form educational assistance to children enrolled in school up to 14 years old with P300 per head and P500 each pregnant mother whose household earning capacity is below one dollar a day.

“An pagpaundang san cash transfer is not a wise move just to address the issue”, said Sarmiento. He added that 4Ps was initiated by former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo thereby directing the DSWD to identify beneficiaries and regularly conduct monitoring to ascertain its effective implementation for a period of 5 years.

The law on devolution does not prohibit the national government to offer financial assistance to LGUs (local government units) through the DSWD regional office, and elective officials were not commissioned to interfere in the identification and selection of enrollees in order to avoid partisan politics that would result failure of the program, Sarmiento said.

However, the solon revealed that the congressional office has been authorized to receive complaints that would affect the CCT (conditional cash transfer) of the beneficiaries.

Part of DSWD’s task is to validate the information conveyed through the online grievance committee with contact number +639189122813.

DSWD workforce in cities and municipalities continue to undertake regular surveys and infringement of the agreement is a ground for discontinuance to receive the CCT. “Kon may nakikita nga diri tama san beneficiaries tungod kay diri qualified sa program, the DWSD is task to validate the issue”, he stressed.

In the conduct of monitoring, orientations on responsible parenthood were also being conducted by social workers, he further said.