Cagayan de Oro City —Beneficiaries of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (Pantawid Pamilya) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has all the reasons to celebrate this 2014.
The DSWD is set to implement this year the extension of age coverage among beneficiaries of Pantawid Pamilya.
This was finalized after the National Advisory Committee of the program, the highest policy-making inter-agency body that provides policy directions and guidance on matters pertinent to program implementation, passed and approved NAC Resolution No. 12, series of 2013.
Currently, the program provides health and education grants to children beneficiaries aged 0-14 years old for five years only. With the implementation of the extension of coverage, the program will go beyond its previous five-year contract to cover up to high school education by extending its coverage up to 18 years old in order to complement the K-12 program of the Department of Education.
Under the proposed extension, children in high school will receive higher education grant in the amount of P500 a month, but removing the health grant for those households who have been exposed to the program for five years and no longer have children beneficiaries enrolled in elementary monitored by the program.
The program also maintains the limit of three children beneficiaries per household.
Lawyer Araceli F. Solamillo, DSWD Field Office 10 Regional Director, explained that under the extension of coverage, children will be entitled for education grants until they are 18 years old, implying that they could benefit from educational grants up to 15 years, starting from age three to 18.
Extension inspires children beneficiaries
Irah Cristena B. Esporma, 14 of Barangay Bocboc, Don Carlos, Bukidnon and the regional winner of the Search for Exemplary PantawidPamilya Child 2013, disclosed that the extension of coverage has inspired her to excel more in her studies.
Irah is a Grade 7 student of Bocboc National High School and the eldest in the family.“I am thankful for the program and for the extension. It’s a big help to me,” she said, adding that the extension of coverage is a great opportunity given by the national government for her to finish her studies.
Irah is ranked number 1 in her class.
Another child beneficiary, Kerr Dynyle Calape, a Grade 7 student of Regional Science High School in this city expressed that he is happy with the extension of coverage of the program.
He said the proposed extension answers his dream of finishing his studies.
“It’s my dream to finish my studies and earn a job so that I can help my parents and my younger sister in the future.”
Selection Criteria
The selection of children aged 3-18 for education monitoring will be based on the following existing policy on the selection of children beneficiaries which include son, daughter, grandson and granddaughter of the household head: for Sets 1-5, the children beneficiaries selected by the system will continue to be monitored; for Sets 6-7 and replacement; the household shall select from among the children included in the household roster; for replacement and additional children beneficiaries to complete the three children limit per household, the household shall select from among the children included in the household roster.
Pilot Phase
A pilot phase of Sets 1-7 households with children aged 3 to 18 in 1,627 cities and municipalities will be implemented anytime this year.
The expected number of children covered during the pilot phase is 10.2 million throughout the country. Of this number of eligible children, 6.321 million or 62 percent are eligible for elementary while 3.875 million or 38 percent are eligible for high school.
Out of the 10.2 million children, 4,287.630 individuals or 42.1 percent will be funded with P12.3 billion during the pilot phase of implementation.
As of December 18, 2013 monitoring, Northern Mindanao has a total of 246, 677 active beneficiaries, excluding the beneficiaries of the Modified Conditional Cash Transfer.
The implementation of the program has brought and kept young children in school. It also promotes human capital by incentivizing staying in school. (Written by Oliver Badel Inodeo, Pantawid Pamilya Information Officer)