Imee Marcos wants expanded ‘Pantawid’ for farmers, fishermen income

Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos. RYAN LEAGOGO / INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines — Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos is seeking to expand the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) recipients for fishermen and farmers.

“Many of our farmers and fisherfolk are not included in the barangay lists of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) recipients even if they are the poorest of the poor because they reside in far-flung communities hardly reached by welfare programs and are rarely visited by government social workers,” Marcos said in a statement on Friday.

The 4Ps, implemented by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), offers conditional cash grants to the poorest of the poor to improve the health, nutrition and education of children in the age group of 0 to 18 years.

This year, DSWD earmarked a budget of P89 billion to implement the program.

Marcos proposed a new program, “Pantawid Kita,” must be added in the Pantawid Pamilya Program to provide a basic monthly income to farmers and fishermen in amounts equivalent to regular 4Ps beneficiaries.

“We need to give our farmers and fishermen this basic income to end the tragedy that those who produce food and save many from hunger, are themselves unable to buy food or keep their families from being hungry,” Marcos said.