The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), through the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), will extend financial assistance to beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) in Eastern Samar who were worst affected by super Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda.

UNICEF’s Unconditional Cash Transfer (UCT) program will benefit 5,801 4Ps households in Eastern Samar, namely the municipalities of Guiuan, Hernani, Mercedes, Balangkayan and Salcedo. The identified beneficiaries come from vulnerable households who are unable to meet their food and essential non-food needs.

Through a Memorandum of Agreement signed by UNICEF and DSWD, each household beneficiary will receive P4,400 monthly, on top of the regular cash grant provided by the 4Ps. The cash distribution will run concurrently with 4Ps pay-outs. The additional cash grant will cover six months starting July until December 2014.

The UNICEF-DSWD partnership expands from the 10,000 households currently supported by UNICEF’s UCT programme in Leyte. Implemented with UNICEF partner, Action Contre La Faim (ACF), it provides a similar cash grant over six months.

“The unconditional transfer of cash to carefully selected families allows them to take a step back from the decisions they have to make after Haiyan/Yolanda, given their loss of property, savings and livelihoods, said Lotta Sylwander, UNICEF Philippines Representative.

The UCT programme in Leyte shows that with very low household incomes, half of the transfers are being spent on food, while the rest are spent on shelter, health care, education and savings.

“These efforts complement the recovery efforts of the 4Ps toward improving the country’s human capital by keeping poor children in school, and giving them medical assistance, while extending immediate financial support to their families,” Sylwander said.

“Eight months after Haiyan/Yolanda, we continue to receive support from our partners whose mandate involves empowering children and families. We are grateful to UNICEF for extending assistance to 4Ps beneficiaries in selected areas in Eastern Samar. With our strong partnership with UNICEF, we can significantly contribute to positive changes in the lives of our beneficiaries,” said DSWD Secretary Corazon Juliano-Soliman.

Through the UCT program, UNICEF supports the 4Ps in its current recovery phase activities and remains committed in its work to advance the welfare of children.

“Through our collaboration with DSWD, we demonstrate our commitment to reach more children and families in the most direct way possible, including advancing their rights to determine and fulfill their immediate recovery needs,” said Lotta Sylwander, UNICEF Philippines Representative.