DSWD-7 to Implement 4Ps Age Extension Next Month

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD-7) will start implementing next month the age extension of the beneficiaries covered by the Pantawid Pamilya Program to include 15 to 18 years old.

According to Aileen Lariba, focal person of the Pantawid Pamilya program here, said that 2014 will be a new beginning for more than 140,000 Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries especially for those aged 15 to 18 years old who dream of going to college or getting a better-paying job.

Parents of children beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilya program are advised to prepare their qualifying children’s birth certificates and certificate of enrollment during the validation to facilitate registration.

Lariba said that currently, the Pantawid Pamilya program provides health and education grants to children beneficiaries aged 0 to 14 only.

With the extention, beneficiaries aged 15 to 18 years old are now covered. The reason for extending the age coverage is to help the children beneficiaries of Pantawid Pamilya finish high school and to get a two-year course in college, at least, giving them a greater chance for a better employment and to become competitive in the professional world.

The program also compliments the K-12 program of the Department of Education (DepEd).

The expansion program still requires an 85% attendance in school but will receive a higher educational grant that covers the 15 to 18 years old.

For households with no children enrolled in the elementary, they will not be receiving anymore the P500/ month cash grant for health, Lariba explained.

She added that the selection of children aged 3-18 for education monitoring will be based on the existing policy which is, “the household shall select from among the children whom to monitor, replace and additional children beneficiaries to complete the three children limit per household, provided that these children are included in the household roster.”

The existing children beneficiaries aged 0 to 14 will continue to be monitored and should abide by the program’s set conditions such as visiting the health center and attending the Family Development Session (FDS) at least once a month, and an 85% attendance in school to continually receive their cash grant of P500/month for health and P300/month for education. (with Press Release)