Cagayan de Oro City – The Department of Social Welfare and Development Field Office X recently announced that 2,187 families in Northern Mindanao are now proud beneficiaries of the Modified Conditional Cash Transfer (MCCT), an expansion scheme of the regular Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) which is the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program of the national government.

DSWD is working closely with Safer River Life Saver, which are now helping 1,000 families who were victims of Tropical Storm Sendong in 2011 and are now living near the riverbanks in Cagayan de Oro City.

Ranao Women and Children Resource Center, Inc. which is based in Iligan City is also helping 1,187 families in need of special protection with DSWD.

The project focuses on street families, IP Migrant families, and families with parents or children with disabilities, families of child laborer, displaced families due to manmade, natural and environmental factors, and families in need of special protection.

The two non-government organizations are implementing the MCCT by conducting Family Development Sessions wherein families are educated on the rights of a child, good parenting roles, and livelihood skills enhancements, among others. Meanwhile, the families are also receiving a monthly cash grant of 1,400.

Like other Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries, the families under MCCT are also required to comply with the conditions set by the Program: periodic checkups, growth monitoring, and vaccinations for children 0-5 years of age; twice a year intake of de-worming pills for children 6-14 years old, pre- and post-natal care for pregnant women and attendance of parents in family development sessions; day-care and school enrollment for children with an attendance equivalent to 85% of school days.

Since the MCCT program will only be implemented in one year, both NGOs will end their implementation on October 2013. As agreed, the beneficiaries will then be mainstreamed under Pantawid Pamilya.

As part of DSWD’s Public-Private Partnership, the agency is partnering with the two NGOs to address the need to help vulnerable sectors, who are not covered by the regular conditional cash transfer primarily because these households do not have permanent residence.

The MCCT is implemented to help families and children in difficult circumstances overcome their situation and mainstream them into the regular CCT while generating appropriate resources and services in the community, Atty. Araceli F. Solamillo, Regional Director of DSWD Field Office X says.

Written by Charmaine P. Tadlas, Regional Information Officer

4,921 households in Northern Mindanao will continue to receive cash grants from the Department of Social Welfare and Development through its Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, the conditional cash transfer scheme of the national government.

This after the national government under President Benigno Aquino’s administration declared extension of age coverage for children under the CCT program.

Previously, Pantawid Pamilya only covered those poor families with children whose age range from 0-14 years old. With the Program’s Extended Age Coverage (EAC), the same households that have children aged 15 to 17 shall continue to receive the Program’s cash grants amounting to a maximum of P1,400.00 every month.

The Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program is a human development program that invests in the health and education of poor households, particularly of children.

The program provides cash grants to beneficiaries provided that they comply with the set of conditions required by the program: Health and Nutrition conditions require periodic checkups, growth monitoring, and vaccinations for children 0-5 years of age; twice a year intake of de-worming pills for children, pre- and post-natal care for pregnant women and attendance of parents in family development sessions.

Education conditions include children’s day-care or school enrollment, attendance equivalent to 85% of school days.

At present, 237,848 households are now benefiting from Pantawid Pamilya in Northern Mindanao.

Written by Charmaine P. Tadlas, Regional Information Officer

The Department of Social Welfare and Development based in Northern Mindanao recently delivered 7,000 family food packs to DSWD-Zamboanga as augmentation to assist families who were affected by the present tension in Zamboanga City.

In addition to the family food packs, 1,000 kitchen kits, 1,500 blankets and mosquito nets, and 100 bags of rice were also delivered.

The said effort was in response to the call of Secretary Corazon Juliano-Soliman who directed DSWD field offices to provide augmentation and support to the people in Zamboanga.

DSWD Northern Mindanao is also accepting donations from groups and individuals. The donations shall be sent to the victims, coursed through DSWD-Zamboanga.

Written by Charmaine P. Tadlas, Regional Information Officer