The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) reiterated the clarification of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) on the issue that 30 percent of beneficiaries of the Conditional Cash Transfer Program or the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program are not poor saying that  the figure was sourced based on 2009 data and earlier poverty targeting practices.

This morning, ADB Philippine Country Director Richard Bolt, issued a clarification on the matter.

He said,  “I wish to clarify that the figure in the “Learning Lessons” publication of ADB’s Independent Evaluation Department is sourced from a 2013 study done by the Philippine Institute of Development Studies (PIDS), which is based on 2009 data and earlier poverty targeting practices. It is unfortunate that this reference was not clear. “

Dir. Bolt explained that the targeting issue raised in the PIDS report has been fully addressed by the DSWD and conditional cash transfer program and related ADB support.

“As such, we are confident that the issue raised is no longer the case in the ongoing conditional cash transfer program,” Dir. Bolt further explained.

He emphasized that the Independent Evaluation report, drawing on impact evaluation, is strongly positive and supportive of the program and its achievements including improved health outcomes and increased school participation, as well as its likely effect on the employability of the beneficiaries, and their chances for breaking the inter-generational cycle of poverty.

For her part, DSWD Secretary Corazon Juliano-Soliman expressed appreciation to ADB for this clarification.

She also shared that the Department is currently embarking on a nationwide assessment of families to determine who are poor, near poor, and non-poor which will become the basis for the listing of qualified beneficiaries of  government programs including the Pantawid Pamilya.

Pantawid Pamilya is a human development program implemented by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) that invests in the health and education of poor families, primarily those with children aged 0-18.  It provides cash grants to partner-beneficiaries who comply with the conditions of sending their children to school, bringing them to health centers for checkups, and attending the monthly Family Development Sessions (FDS).

Pantawid Pamilya is on its seventh year of implementation having started in 2008.  As of May 27, 2015, the program has expanded to 41,519 barangays in 144 cities and 1,483 municipalities in 80 provinces with 4.4 million household-beneficiaries nationwide.  ###