Gov’t allots P5B for cash dole to Bicol’s poor

LEGAZPI CITY—The government would spend some P5.1 billion in Bicol for a dole-out program for the poor.

Remia Tapispisan, regional director of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), said 305,379 poor families, who qualified for the conditional cash transfer (CCT) program as of

Jan. 25, would receive money from government.

She said covered by the program this year were poor families living in 2,525 barangays in the six provinces, 106 municipalities and seven cities of Bicol.

Qualified families are to receive up to P1,400 a month from government provided they send children to school and regular medical checkup.

Rosalie Mapa, CCT project development officer, said beneficiaries were considered “extremely poor.”

Compliance with the conditions of the cash dole is regularly monitored by DSWD, said Tapispisan.