The Department of Social Welfare and Development in Region 7 is targeting a 100 percent registration of beneficiaries in Negros Oriental to the national government’s anti-poverty program, the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program or 4P’s, by year end, particularly in Dumaguete City.

A common problem faced by the beneficiaries is the compliance of requirements, such as birth, baptismal and marriage certificates, DSWD7 sources said.

They are now lobbying with local government units to help beneficiaries comply with the requirements, such as giving them discounts or subsidizing the acquisition of the same.

Another concern for the lead agency in the implementation of the poverty reduction program  to determine whether beneficiaries of the 4P’s are still qualified.  Those who had benefited from the program in previous years may no longer be qualified for Set 5 as they could now be employed locally or abroad, the sources said.

The agency is hoping for minimal inclusion areas in Set 5 even as she admitted that the basis for the identification of the project beneficiaries is the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction.

During interviews conducted since 2008, many beneficiaries still qualified for the conditional cash transfer program due to their poverty status, however, some of them may have already seen a shift and improvement in their lives now due to government or outside intervention.

The identification of the beneficiaries for the next set areas for the Pantawid Pamilya program will pave the way for a smoother implementation of the program in the next five years.*JFP

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