Before he starts taking passengers, he drives his children to school first. And after a hard day’s toil, he still finds time to assist them in their homework and lessons. 

“Nagtatrabaho ako ng husto para mapakain ng maayos at mapag-aral ang mga anak ko. Pero hindi pa rin nagkakasya para sa araw-araw naming pangangailangan ang kinikita ko,” Raymond added.

His perseverance and determination in raising his six (6) children paid off when his household was qualified as a beneficiary of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program last February 2010. The educational and nutritional needs of his three children are now being subsidized by the program. 

In an article published in zamboangatoday.ph, former Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri said that the Pantawid Pamilya makes the poor lazy citing cases in Bukidnon where, allegedly, some families no longer look for employment instead wait for the money to arrive every month.

Melanie Encabo, a mother-beneficiary from Addition Hills, Mandaluyong City asserts that they still work hard even with the cash assistance coming from the government, “Tinutulungan kami ng gobyerno pero tinutulungan din namin ang sarili namin. Kaya din namin tumayo sa aming mga paa. Nagsisikap pa rin kami ng asawa ko kahit pa may tulong mula sa gobyerno”, Melanie said.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) strongly discourage indolence and is taking proactive measures to deter the beneficiaries from relying solely on the cash grant. The program package is designed such that a family cannot rely on the grants alone. A maximum grant of P1,400 serves only to augment a family’s income. It is not sufficient for a family’s survival. 

In the article, former Senator Zubiri also mentioned that the government should give job to the indigents by letting them work with government agencies and providing them with basic pay said. DSWD agrees that to promote development and create impact, a holistic and sustainable approach in should be implemented. As a strategy, the Department institutes a transition mechanism to address the sustainability of program investments to prepare them for their graduation in the program. In this strategy, Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries are assessed after three years of being in the program to determine their readiness to handle a livelihood project or be given employment. 

Last year, the DSWD launched the guaranteed employment scheme dubbed as “Trabahong Panlansangan para sa Pantawid Pamilya” in collaboration with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) as well as with private sector groups.  Initially, it benefitted some 400 Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries from 17 local government units of the National Capital Region. The program intends to access Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries to employment under DPWH where it targets to cover 20% of the workforce of DPWH nationwide. Other convergence projects are being undertaken with various government agencies such as Department of Health, Department of Environment and Natural Resources and Department of Agriculture.

On the other hand, 38,016 beneficiaries nationwide are currently being served under the sustainable livelihood program through the Self-Employment Assistance – Kaunlaran (SEA-K) project of the DSWD. SEA-K is a capability program that provides as much as P10,000 non-collateral and interest-free loan payable in two years. The program aims to enhance the socio-economic skills of poor families and prepare them for formal lending activities where they can avail bigger amount of loan for their livelihood expansion. 

Empowered by her experience as a parent-leader, Lucy Dayondul from Brgy Inayawan, Cebu City formed the KKK SEA-K Association along with ten (10) other members of her parent group. A loan of P75,000.00 was granted to them for their livelihood proposals ranging from buy and sell, sari-sari store, barbecue business and karinderya.

“Malaki ang pasasalamat ko sa Pantawid Pamilya sa mga training at responsibilidad ko bilang parent-leader. Dahil dito nagkaroon ako ng kumpiyansa na buuin ang aming grupo sa SEA-K at nagkaroon kami ng pangkabuhayan”, Lucy said.

Pantawid Pamilya plus the convergent efforts with national agencies as well as other sectors is the right formula to achieve a successful CCT implementation. This formula shows that the poor can maximize services of the government in order to improve their lives and participate in the nation’s growth and development. There may be some who take the efforts of the government for granted but these are just some of the 2.3 million who are determined to persevere for a better future for their families.