Cash subsidy in E. Visayas to be expanded

published April 18, 2012 in BusinessWorld

MAASIN CITY -- The government plans to expand the cash subsidy to the poor program to cover all municipalities in Eastern Visayas and at the same time raise the number of beneficiary households by next year, an official said.

Letecia T. Diokno, regional director of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), said only eight municipalities in the region are not covered by the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).

The towns of Guiuan, Sulat Mercedes, and Lawaan in Eastern Samar; Tunga and Isabel, Leyte; Anahawan and Padre Burgos in Southern Leyte will be considered in the planned expansion next year.

“We will have around 300,000 beneficiaries next year from the current 240,000 households... all areas will be included with the pronouncement of President Aquino to cover all poor families with zero to 14 years old children,” Ms. Diokno toldBusinessWorld.

More than 55,000 poor families in Eastern Visayas were listed this year as new beneficiaries of the program, bringing the total number of beneficiaries in the region to 240,909 households. -- Sarwell Q. Meniano