Malacañang: PNoy administration’s CCT program not a dole-out

The conditional cash transfer (CCT) program under the Aquino administration is not a "dole-out" which encourages dependency, according to Presidential Communications Secretary Herminio B. Coloma Jr.

"...Napatunayan naman kasi sa nakaraang anim na taon na kung maayos ang pangangasiwa ng ganitong programs, ito ay definitely hindi isang dole-out at definitely din...hindi ito lumilikha ng dependency," Coloma said in a radio interview on Sunday.

This comes after the business community proposed to President-elect Duterte, among others, the review of the CCT program — also called the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) — which they claimed to promote dependency on the government.

The 4Ps is a human development measure of the government that provides conditional cash grants to poor families for health, nutrition, and education of children. It started as the CCT under President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

"Unang-una ay pinag-aralan nang husto sa pamamagitan ng National Household Targeting System kung sino ba talaga and karapatdapat na mapasama sa programang ito. Pangalawa, tiniyak na sila ay may kumpletong datos: saan ang kanilang tinitirhan, sino-sino ang mga miyembro ng pamilya, ano ang edad ng mga anak," Coloma said.

He also stressed that beneficiaries must be able to abide with certain "conditions" for them to be qualified under the program.

"Ang kondisyon ay dapat mag-attend ng lahat ng klase, dapat 85-percent attendance minimum -- minimum attendance ng mga nag-aaral na mga anak ng benepisyaryong pamilya, dapat magpabakuna ng napapanahon para manatiling healthy, dapat ay tinitimbang sila para tiyakin na nabibigyan din sila ng tamang nutrisyon, dapat 'yung ina ng CCT beneficiary na nagdadalang-tao ay magpa-pre-natal," he said.

Citing data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), Coloma said that there are some 1.4 million families or seven million individuals who have already risen up beyond the poverty threshold.

"Kaya't malinaw na malinaw na hindi ito lumilikha ng dependency. Ang nililikha nito ay capacity at para patunayan pa nang higit, pinalawig pa 'yung programa para 'yung pag-aaral ng mga benepisyaryong pamilya — pag-aaral ng mga anak ng mga benepisyaryong pamilya ay extended na hanggang high school," he said.

Duterte during his campaign said that he will prioritize the 4Ps under his administration and promised that he will give at least a sack of rice to the poorest of the poor if he wins the presidential race.

"Iyang Pantawid, I will continue it at saka dagdagan. Diyan tama si [President Benigno] Aquino [III]," he said.

Reacting to the heed of business leaders for the program to be reviewed, along with nine other proposals, Duterte said: "And for now, I would say I see nothing wrong with this. These are all doable. It's a matter of just doing it, implement it right away."

Incoming Social Welfare Secretary Judy Taguiwalo has already expressed objection to institutionalize the 4Ps, noting that the government should instead devise ways on how to create long-term solutions such as revitalizing regional industries to create more jobs.

"It's a pantawid program. Why would you institutionalize a stop-gap measure?" she said. "We should legislate long-term economic initiatives that will create more sustainable jobs and livelihood."

A total of P62.7 billion has been allocated for the program, enough to cover 4.6 million households this year. —Jon Viktor D. Cabuenas/ALG, GMA News