Photos from: DSWD Field Office V

Some 3,876 household beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) who were affected by the onslaught of Typhoon Kristine in Camarines Sur province received humanitarian cash transfers from UNICEF on Tuesday (December 17).

Each 4Ps household was provided with one-time cash aid worth Php 6,700 which was credited directly to the beneficiaries’ Landbank accounts, ensuring a secure and seamless process of aid distribution. 

According to 4Ps National Program Manager and Director Gemma B. Gabuya, the cash assistance aimed to address their immediate needs and purchase essential supplies, such as food, clean water, medicines, or educational materials.

“The one-time cash transfer from UNICEF is in addition to the regular cash grants that 4Ps households receive. This support reinforces efforts to help families recover and rebuild while sustaining the development gains made through 4Ps,” Director Gabuya emphasized. 

Among the cash transfer recipients were 4Ps beneficiaries from the municipalities of Balatan, Bombon, Camaligan, Canaman, Pamplona, and Naga City in Camarines Sur province.

The provision of disaster aid to the targeted 4Ps household beneficiaries was facilitated through  a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and UNICEF for the implementation of a Standby Agreement on Emergency Cash Transfer (ECT). 

Under the agreement, UNICEF will provide cash transfers to DSWD social protection program beneficiaries, including 4Ps, to ensure that disaster-affected families and their children have access to financial assistance after an emergency, such as Typhoon Kristine. 

“Through the existing 4Ps database, we are able to swiftly identify and assist the poorest families devastated by the typhoon. Our partnership with UNICEF allows us to augment support for families at a time when it is needed most,” the 4Ps National Program Manager pointed out. 

The national program management office of the 4Ps expressed its gratitude to UNICEF for its continued commitment to assisting Filipino families, especially children, during times of calamity. #