Philippine Institute for Development Studies senior researcher Dr. Aniceto Orbeta presented in a public forum the results of the 2014 impact evaluation of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (Philippine Conditional Cash Transfer Program). The results confirm that the program is on track in achieving its objective of improving the health, nutrition, and education of its beneficiaries.
“The evaluation results show that Pantawid Pamilya is making progress as expected to convert public investments into desired societal results. By extending aid from womb to school, the program keeps children healthy and in school,” said Orbeta. The World Bank-funded evaluation is based on a nationally representative sample and covers Set 1 to Set 4 Pantawid Pamilya areas, which were introduced into the program between 2008 and 2011. The beneficiary households in the sample areas have been exposed to the program for two to four years at the time of data collection from October to December 2013. The sample includes 5,041 households from 30 municipalities in 26 provinces.
World Bank Country Director Motoo Konishi commended Pantawid Pamilya for the positive results. The development partner recognizes the program as part of a broader strategy of the national government for sustained growth and job creation through measures including investments in infrastructure, transparent governance, increased spending for social protection and improved delivery of social services.
“This latest evaluation tells us that the program is delivering results that clearly benefit the poor and the most vulnerable. The World Bank, together with other development partners, supports Pantawid Pamilya because it is well-targeted and a direct way of helping poor households meet their basic needs while improving their human capital, meaning that their children stay in school and become healthier,” said Konishi.
Improves access to healthcare services
The impact evaluation shows that Pantawid Pamilya mothers and children beneficiaries now have better access to maternal care and basic health services.
More Pantawid Pamilya mothers delivered in health facilities in the past five years, with 7 in 10 live births among Pantawid Pamilya mothers compared to 5.5 in 10 births among non-beneficiary mothers.
Furthermore, children beneficiaries have access to basic health services such as vitamin and mineral supplementation that are vital to improving health outcomes. Eighty-six percent of Pantawid Pamilya children aged 6 months to 6 years old receive vitamin A supplementation compared to 73% non-beneficiaries. Thirty-five percent children beneficiaries receive iron supplementation compared to 23% non-beneficiaries.
Keeps children in school
High school children from Pantawid Pamilya households have higher gross enrolment rate of 95% compared to non-Pantawid Pamilya children (89%). This only shows that the program keeps these children in school during the critical stage that they are prone to dropping out in order to earn a living.
Pantawid Pamilya households also invest more on education. Results show that Pantawid Pamilya households spent PhP206 more per school-aged child per year compared to non-beneficiary households. Expenditures for uniform or clothing are higher for Pantawid Pamilya children as well.
Positive outlook in life
Pantawid Pamilya seems to have improved parents’ perception of their situation and of their children’s future. It encourages Pantawid Pamilya parents (87% compared to 81% for non-Pantawid Pamilya parents) to aspire for a better future of their children and expect the kids to live a better life compared to theirs. This indicates that the beneficiaries understand that the program will help their family’s future welfare. The healthier outlook of the future may also prompt beneficiaries to take necessary behavioral changes to achieve their aspirations.
“The results of the impact evaluation only show that Pantawid Pamilya is delivering its commitment to keep children healthy and in school, thus giving them a better chance to have a better life. More importantly, Pantawid Pamilya is giving the Filipino children the opportunity to dream and be the future movers and leaders of the Filipino society who will enjoy and sustain inclusive development,” said Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Corazon Juliano-Soliman.
Pantawid Pamilya is implemented by DSWD in partnership with Department of Education, Department of Interior Local and Government, and Department of Health.
The study also shows no evidence that the program encourages dependency or decreased work effort among adults in beneficiary households. The proportion of working-age household members who are employed and continue to look for additional work is higher for Pantawid Pamilya household members (16.9% compared to 11.3% for non-beneficiaries).
There is no evidence that Pantawid Pamilya encourages spending more on vice goods such as gambling, tobacco and alcohol compared to households that are not beneficiaries.
As of November 5, the program has 4,440,824 household beneficiaries nationwide. Pantawid Pamilya has expanded its support from households with children zero to 14 years old to households with children zero to 18 years old to help them finish high school.