DSWD-C. Visayas: R2.6-B aid for over 28,000 indigent families

CEBU CITY — The Department of Social Welfare and Development in Central Visayas (DSWD-7) has released 12,606,168,300.00 to some 28,942 indigent families in the region who are beneficiaries of the government’s Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino antipoverty program (4Ps) and modified cash transfer program from January to July 2017.

DSWD-7 regional director Evelyn Macapobre told members of the media that the 4Ps has 4.4 million beneficiaries nationwide of which 286,787 are in Central Visayas, which covers the provinces of Cebu, Bohol, Negros Oriental and Siquijor.

According to Macapobre, aside from the 4Ps, the department also implemented programs that include the modified cash transfer for street families, indigenous people in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas, families displaced by natural and man-made calamities.

“We also take care of families with persons with disabilities, child laborers, children in conflict with the law, families with members with terminal disease and victims of human trafficking. Overall, we are supporting 28,942 poor families in the region in the form of financial and material or ‘in-kind ‘assistance,” Macapobre added.

She said that Central Visayas posted a 95.58 percent program implementation compliance rate, compared to the national average rate of 94.92 percent.

Macapobre bared that an additional grant of 1600 per family per month as rice subsidy had been included in the 2017 budget of 178.2B, following the directive of President Duterte after the July, 2016 SONA as part of the anti-poverty program of this administration.

Currently, the DSWD has updated its “Listahan” or the National Household Targeting System for poverty reduction that identifies who and where the poor families are in the country.