CCT program ‘on track’ in fight against poverty

THE Aquino administration is on track in alleviating poverty in the Philippines, according to Secretary Corazon Soliman of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)—thanks, she said, to the Conditional Cash-Transfer (CCT) Program.

Soliman, who led a public presentation of an impact evaluation of the program also known as the Pantawid Pampamilyang Pilipino Program, or 4Ps, at the Asian Institute of Management in Makati City on Thursday, said the assessment presents empirical evidence on impressive results about the effectiveness of the 4Ps on poor Filipino households.

The impact evaluation was conducted jointly and in collaboration with various development partners of the Philippines, namely, the World Bank (WB), Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID), as well as the private research group Social Weather Stations (SWS).

According to Soliman, the CCT program, after two-and-a-half years of implementation under the Aquino administration, is on track and is achieving one of its major objectives—keeping children healthy and in school.

The evaluation was a result of more than a year of data collection and analysis. It is the first among the three-round series of rigorous monitoring and evaluation strategies to gather solid and quantifiable evidence on benefits emerging from the 4Ps at different stages, in addition to the semi-annual spot checks on the operational efficiency of the program.

“The program is effective in creating avenues for the poor to have improved quality of life,” Soliman said.

Junko Onishi, social-protection specialist of the WB, said, “Although these results are preliminary and more in-depth analyses are ongoing, the evidence suggests that Pantawid Pamilya is on track and having impacts on the beneficiary-households.”

“When the [analyses are] completed, we will know the full spectrum of the impacts the program brings as well as the challenges for future improvement,” Onishi added.

The DSWD is committed to promote transparency and accountability in reporting the status program, which include its implementation and accomplishments.

This year, the budget for the controversial CCT Program is P2 billion. It was introduced in 2008 during the term of then-President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Given the amount of investment made by the government in the 4Ps, it is imperative for the DSWD in coordination with other stakeholders to develop a strong and comprehensive monitoring and evaluation framework, Soliman said.

The impact evaluation should ensure that the money allocated for the program since it began in 2008 is spent correctly and that the goals and outcomes identified for the program are in fact being achieved, according to the DSWD chief. –Jonathan L. Mayuga / Reporter, Businessmirror