DSWD-ARMM Conduct Community Assembly in MAguindanao and Lanao Sur

July 24, 2009


Cotabato City – The Department of Social Welfare and Development in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (DSWD-ARMM) has organized a series of community assembly in the provinces of Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur for the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program or 4Ps on July 20 and 22, 2009 respectively.

The community assembly is an initial activity for the implementation of the 4Ps in the province purposely to identify and conduct orientation to potential beneficiaries of the program on its benefits and some conditionality of the program.

Bai Soraida Biruar DSWD-ARMM Regional Secretary said that recipients include pregnant women, families that have children ages from zero to fourteen (0-14) years old and currently enrolled in school and must be also below poverty line.

DSWD-ARMM in collaboration with the Local Government Units of Matanog, Maguindanao province and Pikong, Lanao del Sur identified 3,869 households from the eight (8) barangays of Matanog and 2,032 households from nineteen (19) villages of Pikong.

The 4Ps is a five year program of the national government which was conceived and started in 2008 in response to the global economic meltdown.

It also intends to alleviate poverty incidence that provides cash grants to extremely poor families not only in the ARMM but also in the entire country.

Every household will receive monthly cash grants of P1,400 for five years for health services and education of maximum of three (3) children. Each child will have P300 intended for his/her education with the total amount of P900 for the 3 children while the P500 will be used for the family’s basic health service.

Recently, DSWD-ARMM officials together with the local government units (LGUs) of Datu Saudi Ampatuan identified 945 households from its 14 Barangays, 1,378 households from 18 Barangays of Mamasapano and 679 households from 9 Barangays of Datu Unsay municipality.

The 4Ps program has been launched last month in the province of Lanao del Sur where 1,659 households from the town of Ditsaan-Ramain and 1,244 families from Bubong municipalities have benefited 4Ps through cash gifts. (bpi-armm)