Devt aid conference to dissect DSWD's Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino

International development aid experts will converge at the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas on May 2 to learn lessons from the Philippines' implementation of its version of the World Bank-developed conditional cash transfers—the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino (PPP) program.   The conference on “Enhancing the Potential of Inclusion-Friendly Electronic Government to Persons Payments” is a joint undertaking of the BSP and the US Department of Treasury.   Of particular interest to the conference is the electronic cash transfer aspect of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) PPP program, which uses smartcards to send cash to program beneficiaries.   In the 2012 national budget, PPP implementation has an allocation of P39.44 billion.   DSWD gives the cash subsidy to the poorest Filipino families who commit to send their children to school. The mothers also commit to undergo regular medical check-ups at their barangay health centers.   Among the key features of the Pantawid Pamilya cash grants are:

• P6,000 a year or P500 per month per household for health and nutrition expenses;
• P3000 for one school year or 10 months or P300/month per child for educational expenses;
• A maximum of three children per household is supported; and
• A household with three qualified children receives a subsidy of P1,400/month during the school year or P15,000 annually as long as they comply with the conditionalities.

  “The cash grants shall be received by the most responsible person in the household, usually the mother, through a Land Bank cash card,” the DSWD said on its website.   “In cases where payment through cash card is not feasible, the beneficiaries shall be provided their cash grants through an alternative payment scheme such as over-the-counter transactions from the nearest Landbank branch or offsite payments through Landbank,” it added.   The cash grants are also released through over the counter and off-site payment, G-Remit payment centers, Philpost, First Consolidated Bank, selected rural banks and cooperative banks.   In a statement, the BSP said the conference will focus on details of issues confronting government, providers and those receiving payments.”   Supporting the conference are the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation, United States Agency for International Development, Asian Development Bank, World Bank, Alliance for Financial Inclusion, and the Consultative Group to Assist the Poor. — Rouchelle Dinglasan/Earl Rosero, GMA News