Dole program funds accounted for, COA finding out

MANILA, Philippines—The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has liquidated P3.5 billion of the P3.77 billion reported by the Commission on Audit (COA) as unliquidated cash grants that were distributed in 2011 to beneficiaries of the conditional cash transfer (CCT) program for the poor, or the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).

Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman said the DSWD’s self-imposed Sept. 30 deadline to zero out the P3.77 billion unliquidated cash grants as of December 2011 had been met. As of Sept. 30, the unliquidated balance was down to P256.6 million, she said.

Soliman said the DSWD was coordinating with the LandBank of the Philippines to submit supporting documents, like acknowledgment receipts duly signed by beneficiaries, bank debit advices and a certified list of paid beneficiaries, to speed up the liquidation of the balance.

She said the DSWD and LandBank had entered into a memorandum of agreement which clearly details the roles and responsibilities of each agency on the payment and liquidation of cash grants.

“We hope that through this agreement we can expedite the liquidation process and prevent the accumulation of unliquidated cash grants in the future,” Soliman said.

“We assure the public that the cash grants released in 2011 were distributed and duly received by the rightful beneficiaries,” she said.

Meanwhile, the DSWD has partnered with Save the Children International (SCI) to train caregivers and social workers in “positive discipline.”

“We would like to ensure that all DSWD training modules on parenting incorporate the value of positive discipline and all staff in our residential care centers are trained to effectively implement the program,” Soliman said.