KIDAPAWAN CITY, (PNA) — Member beneficiaries of the national government’s Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4P’s) can seek elective positions in the barangay elections, the 4P’s in-charge in North Cotabato said Wednesday.
However, Benilda Cortez, DSWD-12 4P’s provincial link for North Cotabato, said officials or parent-leaders of 4Ps program in every municipality are asked to resign once they file their certificates of candidacy in the coming barangay balloting on October 28.
This is to ensure that the anti-poverty program will not be used as campaign strategy to ensure victory in the coming polls.
“This is also to ensure that the program will not be affected by the candidacy of its leaders,” Cortez said in an interview.
Cortez explained that no law prohibits 4P’s members and officials from seeking public or elective positions.
“They can participate as candidates but they have to leave the anti-poverty program,” she added.
What is strictly prohibited, according to Cortez, is the use of the program to win votes from poor beneficiaries.
Even incumbent or reelectionist village officials cannot influence the operation of the anti-poverty program.
She warned candidates or local officials against using the 4P’s program to threaten beneficiaries that they will be delisted from the anti-poverty program if they do not vote a particular candidate.
“Only the Department of Social Welfare and Development has the legal and authority to remove or add 4Ps beneficiaries,” she explained.
The 4Ps is a human development program of the national government that invests in the health and education of poor households, particularly of children aged 0-14 years old.
Patterned after the conditional cash transfer scheme implemented in other developing countries, the Pantawid Pamilya provides cash grants to beneficiaries provided that they comply with the set of conditions required by the program.
Officials of groups of 4Ps beneficiaries were designated to ensure transparent implementation of the program in each municipality and barangay in the country.
It has dual objectives. First is the Social Assistance which provides cash assistance to the poor to alleviate their immediate need (short term poverty alleviation); andSocial Development which is to break the inter-generational poverty cycle through investments in human capital.
Pantawid Pamilya helps to fulfill the country’s commitment to meet the Millennium Development Goals, namely:Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger, Achieve Universal Primary Education, Promote Gender Equality, Reduce Child Mortality and Improve Maternal Health.
Earlier, the provincial Department of Interior and Local Governments warned mayors and governors against endorsing particular village candidates through the anti-poverty program.
Aside from cash assistance, the DSWD and other government agencies provide capacity building to beneficiaries to make them self-reliant once the national anti-poverty program ends.
Thursday, Oct. 17 is the last day of filing of certificates of candidacy for the village polls.
Cortez said that after the last day, her office will check whether there are 4Ps parent-leaders who filed their candicady but have not officially inform DSWD.