case study

“Perception on the Living Condition of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) Beneficiaries at Poblacion, San Jose,Camarines Sur”

Researcher:

JOHN MARK A. TRIBIANA

ROSE ANN P. LUMBRIA

JEAN O. RELLORA

ANABEL P. ORIAS

Adviser:
Mr. Romulo B. Alfon Jr.

Chapter I

THE PROBLEM AND ITS SETTING

Introduction

In this generation, a lot of poor people believe that life happens to them by fate and they always give excuses and blame on the circumstances and focuses on obstacles. Among of the poor people they are just dreaming about their dreams and just think about how good it is going to be if they are rich. Poverty is every day’s problem the people who suffer poverty are mostly the unemployed people, the elderly, the uneducated and the working poor. Poverty causes also malnutrition in some parts of the country; it also effects the development of the future of our country. The 4P’s program is currently implemented by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). It is conditional cash transfer program known as Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4P’s) that had started in 2008 inspired by the success. The Pantawid Pamilya, is also widely known as the Philippine Conditional Cash Transfer program, it is a human development program of the National Government and a social protection strategy that invests in the health and education of poor children ages 0-14 years old. As of July 2012 the program has 3,041,152 household beneficiaries in 1,400 cities and municipalities in 79 provinces in all regions nationwide.
Poverty has been a problem in the Philippines since time. Unfortunately, the number of Filipinos suffering from the aforementioned social problem is increasing every year. This is in spite of the poverty alleviation interventions being implemented by the government and numerous civic society groups.
As introduced by Senator Meriam Defensor Santiago (2010) during Fifthteenth Congress of the Republic of the Philippines:
“The State shall promote a just and dynamic social order that will ensure the prosperity and independence of the nation and free the people from poverty through policies that provide adequate social services, promote full employment, a rising standard of living, and an improved quality of life for all.”
According to 2006 Annual Poverty Statistics of the National Statistical Coordination Board, 27.9 million Filipinos or one-third (l/3) of the entire population are poor. To address this problem the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) together implemented a Conditional Cash Transfer Program known as Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) inspired by the successes of similar programs in Latin American countries such as Bolsa Familia in Brazil, Familias en Accion in Colombia and OPORTUNIDADES in Mexico. The Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) is more than a welfare program; it addresses structural inequities in society and promotes human capital development of the poor, thus, breaking the intergenerational cycle of poverty. The conditions attached to the grants require parents to undergo trainings on responsible parenthood, have their children undergo health check-ups and ensure school attendance. The program ensures that there is sufficient resource for the health, nutrition and education of children aged 0-14 year old. An initial study on the pilot areas of the program shows promising results. In Esperanza and Sibagat, Agusan Del Sur for example, two of the pilot areas of the 4Ps element.
Former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s nine-year term saw the birth and growth of one of her foremost anti-poverty programs-the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program- popularly known as the 4Ps. The Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program provides cash transfers to poor households, conditional upon investments in child education and health as well as use of maternal health services. The objective of the program is to promote investments in the education and health of children to help break the intergenerational transmission of poverty, while providing immediate financial support to the household. Poor households are identified by the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTS-PR) based on a transparent poverty targeting mechanism, using a statistical model to estimate income. Households with estimated income below the poverty line are classified as poor. From that database of poor households, Pantawid Pamilya identifies and selects eligible households who have children 0-14 years of age and/or a pregnant woman. These households then receive cash grants every two months ranging from PhP 500 to PhP 1,400 per household per month, depending on the number of eligible children.
Since its launch in 2008, Pantawid Pamilya has been scaled up rapidly a Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) programs are increasingly regarded as an effective tool in fighting poverty worldwide. The Philippines created its own CCT program in 2008 called the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program or 4Ps (which loosely means “Filipino family tide over program” to assist in surmounting a period of difficulty for the household). The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) act as the lead implementing agency and depository/disbursing bank of the program, respectively, and has become the cornerstone of the Government’s social protection efforts. Statement of the Problem

This study generally aims to assess the living condition of the beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilya Pilipino Program (4Ps). Specifically, this focus on the following specific objectives:
1. Know the socio-economic profile of the respondents, in terms of:
a) Family size
b) Monthly income
c) Occupation
2. Determine the attainment of the conditions of the program, in terms of:
a) Health
b) Education
c) Other concerns
3. Determine the beneficiaries’ living condition:
a) before the implementation of the program,
b) now as beneficiaries of the program,
c) In the years to come as beneficiaries of the program, and
d) In the years to come without the program’s assistance.

Assumption

The study was supported by the following assumption.
1. Some residents of municipality of San Jose are beneficiaries of 4P’s.
2. Beneficiaries incur various expenses.
3. There is positive outcome on health, education aspects of the beneficiaries.
4. The perceptions of the beneficiaries on their living conditions vary.

Scope and Delimitation

This research study will focus its investigation on the perceived living condition of the beneficiaries Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program of Poblacion San Jose Camarines Sur. This study will be conducted on June to October 2014. The respondents are the beneficiaries of 4Ps in the selected barangays in Poblacion San Jose. San Jose belongs to the Partido Area which is the fourth district of the province of Camarines Sur. It is politically subdivided into 29 Barangays with the total land area of 4,757.469275 hectares and with a population of 38,523.
The socio-economic profile of the respondents limited to family size, monthly income and occupation. As stated in review of related literature and studies, the concern areas of the 4Ps are beneficiary family members’ health and education. The living conditions of the beneficiaries will be determined using their perception on the four times scenario’s before the implementation of the program, now as beneficiaries of the program, in the years to come as beneficiaries of the program, and in the years to come without the program’s assistance.

Significance of the Study

This study deemed important among parents, children, society to the researchers.
To Parents-Parents were also disciplined. This goes especially true for the men who were drinkers, and who engaged in vices like sugal or pustahan. Almost every afternoon before, the locals could observe men staggering in the neighborhood because of drunkenness. But when 4Ps started, incidents like this have disappeared. Of course, there would be occasional drinking especially during birthdays and fiestas, but it was down to a minimum. The people have now learned to control vices since they have grown to understand the importance of budgeting the money they receive for more important things such as the children’s future and their health.
To children- Children, including dental care, which is often, excluded from private health insurance. Of key importance for children with special health care needs, all CHIP programs cover physical, occupational, and speech and language therapies, often without limits. Both Medicaid and CHIP provide strong financial protection for low-income children and families.
To Society-We focus on one thing, helping young people see their strengths. That one thing is everything.
DSWD-To maintain the population growth development to be aware the beneficiaries by its obligation to decrease the poverty in the state of crisis in the Philippines.

Chapter II
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

Related Literature

This chapter is devoted to the review of existing bodies of knowledge on related studies that have been carried out in areas of economic Impact of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program with main emphasis of 4P’s Program.
According to 2006 Annual Poverty Statistics of the National Statistical Coordination Board, 27.9 Million Filipinos or one-third (l/3) of the entire population are poor. To address this problem the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) together implemented a Conditional Cash Transfer Program known as Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) inspired by the successes of similar programs in Latin American countries such as Bolsa Familia in Brazil, Familias en Accion in Colombia and OPORTUNIDADES in Mexico. The Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) is more than a welfare program; it addresses structural inequities in society and promotes human capital development of the poor, thus, breaking the intergenerational cycle of poverty. The conditions attached to the grants require parents to undergo trainings on responsible parenthood, have their children undergo health check-ups and ensure school attendance. The program ensures that there is sufficient resource for the health, nutrition and education of children aged 0-14 year old. An initial study on the pilot areas of the program shows promising results. In Esperanza and Sibagat, Agusan del Sur for example, two of the pilot areas of the 4Ps element.
President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III brought to the spotlight his administration 's gains in poverty reduction in his fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA) last July 28, 2014. He said that the expanded conditional cash transfer (CCT) program, also known as the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), has a budget of P12.3 billion. The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has expanded the program 's coverage by including children aged 14 to 18 starting on June this year. The expansion allows the children of beneficiaries to get cash grants until they finish high school. He cited in his report a study of the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS), which said that the salary of a high school graduate is 40 percent more than that of an elementary graduate. Aquino pointed out that according to data from the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), the country 's poverty incidence decreased from 27.9 percent in the first semester of 2012 to 24.9 percent in the same period in 2013. He said the 3-percentage points is equal to around 2.5 million people who are now already above the poverty line. (dela Cruz, 2013)
According to the data from the National Statistical Coordination Board, more than one-quarter (27.9%) of the population fell below the poverty line the first semester of 2012, an approximate 1 per cent increase since 2009.[2] This figure is a much lower figure as compared to the 33.1% in 1991. Philippines’ poverty line marks a per capita income of 16,841 pesos a year. The decline in poverty has been slow and uneven, much slower than neighboring countries who experienced broadly similar numbers in the 1980s, such as People 's Republic of China (PRC), Thailand, Indonesia (where the poverty level lies at 8.5%) or Vietnam (13.5%). This shows that the incidence of poverty has remained significantly high as compared to other countries for almost a decade. The unevenness of the decline has been attributed to a large range of income brackets across regions and sectors, and unmanaged population growth. The Philippines poverty rate is roughly the same level as Haiti. The government planned to eradicate poverty as stated in the Philippines Development Plan 2011-2016 (PDP). The PDP for those six years are an annual economic growth of 7-8% and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Under the MDGs, Philippines committed itself to having extreme poverty from a 33.1% in 1991 to 16.6% by 2015. (Wikipedia, 2014)
According to junkoonishi, social protection specialist of the World Bank pointed out “although this results are preliminary and more in depth analysis are ongoing the evidence suggest that Pantawid Pamilya is on track on having impacts on the beneficiary households.
According to the data from the National Statistical Coordination Board, more than one-quarter (27.9%) of the population fell below the poverty line the first semester of 2012, an approximate 1 per cent increase since 2009.[2] This figure is a much lower figure as compared to the 33.1% in 1991. Philippines’ poverty line marks a per capita income of 16,841 pesos a year. The decline in poverty has been slow and uneven, much slower than neighboring countries who experienced broadly similar numbers in the 1980s, such as People 's Republic of China (PRC), Thailand, Indonesia (where the poverty level lies at 8.5%) or Vietnam (13.5%). This shows that the incidence of poverty has remained significantly high as compared to other countries for almost a decade. The unevenness of the decline has been attributed to a large range of income brackets across regions and sectors, and unmanaged population growth. The Philippines poverty rate is roughly the same level as Haiti. The government planned to eradicate poverty as stated in the Philippines Development Plan 2011-2016 (PDP). The PDP for those six years are an annual economic growth of 7-8% and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Under the MDGs, Philippines committed itself to having extreme poverty from a 33.1% in 1991 to 16.6% by 2015. (Wikipedia, 2014)
In the Philippines, cash grants are disbursed to beneficiaries through two modes: (1) cash cards or ATMs and (2) OTC. While both modes seem systematic, the main problem emerged at the onset of 4P’s implementation is the lack of banking facilities in some areas, specifically in IP communities. Most LBP branches and ATMs are located in the town centers. As such, beneficiaries still have to travel from mountains and incur additional travel expenses to go to the off-site disbursement location not to mention the security risk that long travel poses on the beneficiaries. To address these issues, in November 2010, DSWD and LBP partnered with Globe Telecom to use GCASH Remit in disbursing grants (DSWD, 2011). GCASH Remit enables beneficiaries to “no longer have to spend a big amount on transportation and endure long hours of travel just to get to the Land Bank branches and receive their cash subsidy” (Ibid.).
According to the Department of Social Welfare and Development, the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) is a poverty reduction strategy that provides to extremely poor households to improve their health, nutrition and education particularly of children aged 0-14. I has a dual objectives: social assistance and social development. The government patterned the program to that of the successful programs in Latin America and Africa which most likely alleviate poverty concerning Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT). The 4Ps provides conditional grants to the beneficiaries such as P6000 a year or P500 per month household for health and nutrition expenses, and P3000 for one school year or 10 months or 300 per month per child for educational expenses, and a maximum of three children per households is allowed. The beneficiaries received the quarterly cash grants through a Land bank cash card. The households will be dropped from program if they are found non-compliant with the laid conditions of the program. (DSWD Field Office CAR, 2011)

Related Studies
Villanueva and Millares (2013) conducted a study that evaluated the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program’s beneficiaries of Barangay Danlog, San Jose Camarines Twenty six (26) of the respondents were identified as the poorest of the poor. It was found out that the beneficiaries of the program used the money that they have received for the health and education of their children and to buy other necessities like food, vitamins and clothing. The 4Ps addresses the Millennium Development Goals of the Philippines, namely: eradicate extreme poverty and hunger; Achieve universal primary education; promote gender equality; reduce child mortality and improve maternal health. The study recommended that partnership of Millennium Development Goals and Department of Social Welfare and Development must continue to support the underprivileged and vulnerable sectors in seeking programs that would be beneficial to the economic development of the poor. It is also recommended that the local and national government must work hand-in-hand in attaining national development not only for the economic purposes but also for political, social and cultural development.
Tutor (2013) evaluated the marginal contribution of Pantawid Pamilya to changes in consumption among households that actually participated in the program. The study used of household Assessment Proxy Means test. It was found out that the households have increased spending on goods conditioned by the program. Also, households have not increased total food consumption and have decreased spending on basic non-food items such as fuel. Results show cash grant may not be enough to cover full program participation costs and households shoulder indirect costs. Among poorest households, Pantawid Pamilya led to increase per capita monthly total consumption, food expenditures and savings. Expenditures share of education and clothing increased, while that of fuel and recreation declined. The study concluded that Pantawid Pamilya is effective in increasing consumption among poorest households. Results among total sample in dividing differential in bottom 30% subsample. In addition to influencing program impact; leakage problems entail huge inefficiency costs.
Agbon, et.al. (2013) conducted a study funded by East Asian Development Network (EAPN) and Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS), entitled: “The Philippines Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps): Examining Gaps, Enhancing Strategies”. Some findings and implications of the study states that the result of the regression analysis strengthens that beneficiary households - be in the Pantawid Program. It was found out that the program requires a high level of administration and systematic organization. It is necessary but not sufficient people to more out of poverty, more programs that complement and link the demand aid to the supply of educational and health services more challenge after the program ends.
Soliman (2012) found out in the first impact evaluation of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program that it has a strong and consistent impact on the key indicators targeted by the program by the line with the other Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) programs around the world and it is on the track in reaching the program set objectives set by the DSWD.

Gap-Bridged of the Study It was gleaned from the cited research studies that there was not even one which dealt with the assessment of the perceived living conditions of the beneficiaries of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) of Poblacion, Sa Jose, Camarines Sur. This is the gap that this research attempts to bridge.

Conceptual Paradigm

Figure 1 displays the Conceptual Framework of the study. The model was modified because of some disparity in the study. This basically consists of the inputs, process and output of the study.
The main inputs of the study will be the socio-economic profile, attainment of the conditions of 4Ps, rating on the perceived living conditions in the various. The needed data or inputs of this study were gathered through researcher-made questionnaire and unstructured interview. To give meaning and to interpret the acquired data well, they will be placed in tables and will be statistically treated. Then the researchers will analyze and interpret the data to answer the problems of this study. Hence, the perceived living conditions of the 4Ps beneficiaries.

Figure 1
Conceptual Paradigm

The process will be a continuous one because feedback will be given after the studies has been analyzed and finalized. The findings will be used to uplift and to enhance further the input. Based on the output, the process/procedure may be altered or enhance for much upgrade output.

Chapter III
METHODOLOGY

This chapter presents in detail the methods and procedures that will be used to attain the objectives of the study. It contains the research design, respondents of the study, research procedure, data gathering instrument and statistical tools to be employed in the treatment of the data.

Research Design
This study will use the descriptive method applying both quantitative and qualitative approaches. According to Nebeker (2012), a descriptive study is one in which information is collected without changing the environment. It is an approach to problem-solving that seeks to answer questions to real facts relating to existing conditions. This is a technique of quantitative descriptions which determines the prevailing conditions in a group of cases chosen for study. It stresses current conditions which with assumption that thing will change. This study will deal with the perceived living conditions of the beneficiaries of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilpino Program (4Ps). The data will be gathered using the researcher-made survey questionnaire.

Respondents
The respondents of this study will be the beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilya Pilipino Program (4Ps) who are residents of the six (6) barangays of the Poblacion of San Jose, Camarines Sur, namely: San Juan, San Antonio, Santa Cruz, San Vicente, Del Carmen and Soledad. The researchers has requested for the number of 4Ps beneficiaries of these barangays from the office of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) of the municipality. As of August 2014, according to DSWD, 210 residents of these barangays are beneficiaries of the program. Due to time and financial constraints, this study used sampling technique. The Slovin’s formula was used to determine the sample size of the respondents. The sample size was obtained using the formula:

where N refers to the sample size, N refers to the population, and E refers to the margin error which is set at 5%.
The study used Stratified Proportional Sampling Technique due to the varying number of population of the study area. Table 1 shows the proportionate distribution of the computed sample size which was obtained using the Slovin’s formula. It displays the population of 4Ps beneficiaries from the six (6) barangays of the Poblacion of San Jose, Camarines Sur. The researches acquired this data from the office of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) of the municipality

Table 1. Proportional Allocation of the Respondents of the Study

Barangay
Population (N)
Percent
Samples {n)
San Juan
32
15.24%
21
San Antonio
27
12.86%
18
Santa Cruz
68
32.38%
45
San Vicente
3
1.43%
2
Del Carmen
17
8.10%
11
Soledad
63
30%
41
Total
210
100%
138

Data Gathering Instrument
The following are the data gathering instrument used by the researchers just to come up and give appropriate, relevant information and exact details about the needs of the current study namely, survey, formal interview and observations. Survey, a standardized but did not allow the exploration of answer in depth to justify and affirm all the requirements prescribe by the Department of Social Welfare and Development to its beneficiaries, secondly, the researchers interviewed the municipal link in order to evaluate the beneficiaries of 4P’s program, lastly, the observation, which came normally from the researchers to all involved individuals, particularly the place wherein the respondents resides, cost of living and the way of life of the respondents.

Research Procedures

In order to become legal, all the data and information in the current study were gathered by the researchers from the beneficiaries of 4P’s program. The researchers made the communication letters to give all the persons involved in this undertaking. The Municipal Mayor and the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Head approved the researchers to provide them official list of the beneficiaries of Pantawid Pamilya Pilipino Program (4P’s) that would serve as the respondents of this study, after the approval of the communication letters by both the adviser and concerned authority.
The researchers sent another letter to the head of Municipal Social Worker development to allow them conduct a survey and interview concerning to the following objectives of the current study as to; education and health including the of the objectives of Millennium Development Goal namely eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, achieve primarily education, promote gender equality, reduce child mortality and improve maternal health. These will be used in order to attain the objective of this study.
This study systematically will follow the procedure below towards the attainment of the objectives of this study.
1. Draft communication letters to be forwarded to the concerned persons.
2. Seek for the approval of the research from concerned offices/institutions.
3. Prepare and finalize the researcher-made questionnaire.
4. Construct the respondents’ distribution plan.
5. Distribute of the researcher-made questionnaire to the respondents.
6. Tally the raw data and prepare them for statistical treatment.
7. Treat the data with the appropriate statistical tools.
8. Analyze the statistics and interpret the results.
9. Finalize the research manuscript.

Statistical Tools This paper will utilize the following statistical tools to support the interpretation of gathered data.
1. Frequency Count and Percentage Technique
2. Slovin
3. Weighted Mean

References:

Asian Development Bank (2014). Poverty in the Philippines: Causes, Constraints and Opportunities. Retrieved last August 6, 2014 at http://www.adb.org/publications/poverty-philippines-causes-constraints-and-opportunities

Dela Cruz, Kathlyn (2013). PNoy boasts gains in poverty. Retrieved last August 6, 2014 at http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/07/28/14/pnoy-boasts-gains-poverty-reduction

DSWD Field Office CAR (2011). Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program. Retrieved last August 14, 2013 at http://www.car.dswd.gov.ph/programs-services/core-programs/pantawid-pamilyang-pilipino-program-4ps/

Nebeker, Camille (2012). Research Design. Retrieved from October 16, 2013 http://ori.hhs.gov/education/products/sdsu/res_des1.htm Soliman, Corazon J. (2012). Preliminary Results of the e Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (Conditional Cash Transfer) First Impact Evaluation. Retrieved last August 6, 2014 at http://devplan.neda.gov.ph/m&e-network/resources/2012/Session1/4-DSWD_Preliminary_Findings_of_the_Impact_Evaluation_of_Pantawid_Pamilyang_Pilipino_Program.pdf

Tutor, Melba V. (2014). Evaluating the Impacts of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilpino Program on Consumption. Retrieved last August 6, 2013 from http://www.econ.upd.edu.ph/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/PES_MVTutor_15Nov.pdf

Villanueva, Roberto I. and Sharmaine Madonna O. Millares (2013). Evaluation of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps). Unpublished undergraduate thesis

References: Asian Development Bank (2014). Poverty in the Philippines: Causes, Constraints and Opportunities. Retrieved last August 6, 2014 at http://www.adb.org/publications/poverty-philippines-causes-constraints-and-opportunities Dela Cruz, Kathlyn (2013). PNoy boasts gains in poverty. Retrieved last August 6, 2014 at http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/07/28/14/pnoy-boasts-gains-poverty-reduction DSWD Field Office CAR (2011). Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program. Retrieved last August 14, 2013 at http://www.car.dswd.gov.ph/programs-services/core-programs/pantawid-pamilyang-pilipino-program-4ps/ Nebeker, Camille (2012). Research Design. Retrieved from October 16, 2013 http://ori.hhs.gov/education/products/sdsu/res_des1.htm Soliman, Corazon J. (2012). Preliminary Results of the e Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (Conditional Cash Transfer) First Impact Evaluation. Retrieved last August 6, 2014 at http://devplan.neda.gov.ph/m&e-network/resources/2012/Session1/4-DSWD_Preliminary_Findings_of_the_Impact_Evaluation_of_Pantawid_Pamilyang_Pilipino_Program.pdf Tutor, Melba V. (2014). Evaluating the Impacts of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilpino Program on Consumption. Retrieved last August 6, 2013 from http://www.econ.upd.edu.ph/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/PES_MVTutor_15Nov.pdf Villanueva, Roberto I. and Sharmaine Madonna O. Millares (2013). Evaluation of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps). Unpublished undergraduate thesis