DSWD: Beware of 4Ps “agents”

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)-7 has warned the public of the alleged ongoing house-to-house listing of applicants for membership of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) in the province of Bohol.

“Our office has received reports from our field staff about this incident and we encourage the public to be vigilant and to report to the nearest City or Municipal Action Team Office of DSWD-7,” said DSWD-7 Regional Director Rebecca Geamala, in a statement.

These activities reportedly were reported to have happened in the towns of Carmen, Anda and Garcia Hernandez that were conducted by some individuals not connected with the agency.

Geamala also informed the public that DSWD is not collecting any fee from individuals to become a Pantawid beneficiary.

The Pantawid beneficiaries are objectively selected through the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction, also known as Listahanan, which is based from an assessment of the physical structure of their houses, the number of rooms and occupants, their access to running water and other factors affecting their living conditions.

Geamala also emphasized that even if the household was already assessed by the Listahanan enumerator, it does not mean that it will automatically become a beneficiary of Pantawid or any government program.

She added that all collected information from the household will go through a process using a scientific method called Proxy Means Test or PMT.

The PMT is a statistical model that estimates the income of household based on the variables included in the family assessment form.

She added that households with estimated incomes that are equal to and above the latest provincial poverty thresholds will be considered non-poor and those with estimated incomes falling below the poverty thresholds will be considered poor.

She said that the household which is identified as poor will become potential beneficiaries for various social protection programs of the government, like the 4Ps.

However, their inclusion in the programs still depends on the program’s qualifications or eligibility criteria.

Aside from being identified as poor from Listahanan, a Pantawid partner beneficiary must have children aged 0 to 18 or have a pregnant member at the time of the assessment and must be willing and able to comply with the conditions of the program as part of their co-responsibilities. — Mitchelle L.