4P’S AND PHILIPPINE EDUCATION SYSTEM
JOEL M. GARCIA
In the Philippines, just like other countries, poverty has been continuously serving as one of the gross impediments and hindrances to the right and access to quality education of the Filipino school-age children. Increasing and worsening poverty rates has been one of the major causes of illiteracy, lack of education and academic insufficiencies of children and youth who belong to poverty –stricken households in the country. Poverty is known to be a condition which results to poor access, scarcity or deprivation of individual’s basic needs for survival.
Throughout the years, many Filipino families are becoming preys or victims of the dire effects o worsening poverty rate. Poverty related problems often cause households or families to be deprived of their basic needs and thus left with no option but to discontinue the schooling of their children.
In view of these, in response to the challenge of formulating and implementing a national intervention that will respond to the challenge of addressing the poverty-related problems in the Philippines, the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program or 4Ps was initiated. This program otherwise known as Conditional Cash Transfer Program primarily aims to address poverty related problems in the country and to respond to the government’s commitment towards Millennium Development Goals. This program highlights the provision of cash assistance to the poor Filipino families and households to provide alleviation to their immediate needs. Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program also aims to break the so called intergenerational transmission and cycle of poverty. This is through investing in human capital development.
The beneficiaries of 4Ps are the poor households who are instructed and expected to utilize the cash assistance specifically for educational and health purposes. This program transfers or provides cash assistance to beneficiaries who are able to comply with the conditionalities of the program. The program seeks to reduce and minimize poverty related conditions by means of providing cash grants to poor for them to have access to educational and health needs.
Definitely and undoubtedly, the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program is such a beneficial, useful and favorable anti-poverty program for many Filipinos. However, despite of its noble provisions, it is currently being subjected to some sorts of criticisms and complaints regarding its impacts on the academic status and educational conditions of the pupil-beneficiaries. These criticisms include the misconception that 4Ps only triggers people’s habitual dependence on governmental support and not on their personal efforts and endeavor to alleviate their families from poverty –stricken conditions. Another complaint against this program is viewed in terms of the household’s misuse or inappropriate spending or utilization of the cash grants offered by the program. This is because stories about parents’misuse of cash grants on other unnecessary stuffs instead of providing for their children’s basic needs and education using the 4Ps assistance are also being told.
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The author is Master Teacher I at Camachiles National High School, Dvision of Mabalacat City