San Mariano, Isabela– About 75 parent leaders of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program in this municipality come together for a consultation conference on the institutionalization of the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) Bill on March 22, 2016.
The status of the CCT Bill which has two versions by the Congress and the Senate was presented to the leader beneficiaries.
Consequently, the beneficiaries expressed their desire for the institutionalization of the program so they formulated strategies on how they can take part in lobbying for the bill’s approval.
Some of the activities to be undertaken include signature campaign among beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries, unity walk, and posting of short success stories and video testimonials in social networking sites.
STORIES OF POSITIVE CHANGE
“Nagsimula kaming maging benepisyaryo ng programa nung 2008 sa ilalim ng Set 1, at unti-unti ay gumaan ang aming pamumuhay. Pinahiran ng Pantawid Pamilya ang aking luha dahil nagkaroon na ako ng katuwang sa pagtustos sa pag-aaral ng aking mga anak. Sila rin ay lagi ng nagpapacheck-up. Ngunit higit sa lahat, umunlad at lumawak ang aking kaalaman sa tulong ng Family Development Sessions,” starts Elnora Ramos.
She added that the program has motivated her to work harder for her family. The program also opened new opportunities for her when she became a recipient of the Sustainable Livelihood Program and had various trainings on dressmaking, meat processing, among others.
“Maraming pagbabago ang nangyari sa aming buhay at sa tulong ng Pantawid Pamilya, kami ay nagsimulang umangat sa kahirapan. Sana nga ay magpatuloy pa ang programa upang tuluyan na naming makamit ang kaunlaran,” Ramos ended.
The Pantawid Pamilya is the Philippine’s version of the conditional cash transfer being implemented in Latin American and African countries. It is one of the responses of the national government to the challenge of meeting the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs).
Pantawid Pamilya aims to break the inter-generational cycle of poverty by investing in the health and education of poor Filipino children aged 0-18 years old. Cash grants is given to the families in exchange of compliance to certain conditionalities.
Currently, the program serves a total of 4.5 million household beneficiaries in the country, with region 2 having 97, 235 household beneficiaries in all the municipalities and cities of Cagayan, Isabela, Quirino and Nueva Vizcaya.
The municipality of San Mariano is home to 3, 413 household beneficiaries and is one of the three pilot areas in region 02 together with Divilacan and Palanan starting in 2008. ### By MARICEL B. ASEJO, Information Officer II- Pantawid Pamilya