DSWD Warns Against Pawning of Pantawid Cash Cards

Cagayan De Oro City (PIA) — The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is warning beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (Pantawid Pamilya) against pawning of cash cards issued to them to receive grants for their children’s education and health needs.

This warning was issued after the DSWD has received grievance reports of an alleged pawning among its program beneficiaries in some parts of Northern Mindanao.

“We do not allow pawning of cash cards because it diverts the money to other expenses rather than to its sole purpose: for their children’s health and education,” Atty. Araceli Solamillo, DSWD Regional Director, says.

Pantawid Pamilya is the national government’s initiative of cutting the intergenerational cycle of poverty by investing in education and health of poor families, especially of their children aged 0 to 18 years old.

Each family-beneficiary receive a maximum of P1,400 per month to enable them to send their children to school, and to health centers on a regular basis to monitor their children’s health.

According to DSWD, beneficiaries who are found pawning the cash cards will be warned and if the beneficiary continues to do the malpractice, even if they are already warned, may be de-listed from Pantawid Pamilya.

However, the DSWD is concerned that there is a reason behind such malpractice. “This is a sign that there is still a need to develop more programs to help them manage their finances effectively, and to improve their capacity to access opportunities to move them to a better status of well-being,” Atty. Solamillo explains.

“That is why all of our beneficiaries are given livelihood, skills trainings, and job opportunities through our Sustainable Livelihood Program,” Atty. Solamillo emphasizes. “We have also partnered with other national government agencies, local government units, civil society groups, faith-based organizations, and private institutions to join us in helping our poor families.”

Today, there are 283,150 Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries in Northern Mindanao. These families are identified through Listahanan, a system that generated data of poorest households in the country in 2009. (Charmaine P. Tadlas/DSWD/PIA10)