DSWD7 Warns Swindlers Collecting Membership Fees to Pantawid Pamilya Recipients

Negros Oriental (PIA) – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD-7) warned individuals who are taking advantage of the program by asking membership fees to become beneficiaries of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, the Philippine government’s version of conditional cash transfer.

“We do not collect membership fees to become Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries,” stressed (DSWD) Field Office VII regional director Mercedita Jabagat after receiving fraudulent reports.

“Beneficiaries are selected through the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTS-PR) or Listahanan, which identifies who and where the poor are in the country,” said Jabagat.

The DSWD is the lead government agency implementing the program with over four million household beneficiaries nationwide. Of the total household-beneficiaries about 250,000 are from Central Visayas.

She pointed out that there are criteria to become beneficiaries of the program and these include the following: Residents of the poorest municipalities, based on 2003 Small Area Estimates (SAE) of the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB), Households whose economic condition is equal to or below the provincial poverty threshold, Households that have children 0-18 years old and/or have a pregnant woman at the time of assessment and Households that agree to meet conditions specified in the program.

“We encourage the public to be vigilant and not to fall prey to these hustlers. We urge you to immediately report to the nearest DSWD office if you know of irregularities regarding the implementation of the program. You can also reach our Municipal/City Links for inquiries regarding Pantawid Pamilya,” Jabagat added.

Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program is a human development measure of the national government that provides conditional cash grants to the poorest of the poor, to improve the health, nutrition, and the education of children aged 0-18.

It is patterned after the conditional cash transfer (CCT) schemes in Latin American and African countries, which have lifted millions of people around the world from poverty.

It covers three children-beneficiaries per household and provides a monthly education grant of P500 per household for high school student and P300 for elementary.

The household-beneficiary will also receive P500 as monthly health grant or a total of P6,000 every year. (mbcn/jct/PIA7-Negros Oriental)