FILE PHOTO: Enrollees in Catbalogan, Samar, avail themselves of the 4Ps program. —CATBALOGAN.GOV.PH
MANILA, Philippines — Loan sharks accepting cash cards pawned by Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) beneficiaries could end up in jail, Social Welfare Secretary Erwin Tulfo warned Wednesday.
According to Tulfo, their office has been receiving reports of beneficiaries pledging their 4Ps cards to loan sharks.
“I would like to take this opportunity to warn the loan sharks. Bawal po ‘yan na tumatanggap kayo ng mga isasanla sa inyo na 4Ps cash card,” Tulfo said in an interview with ABS-CBN News Channel.
(I would like to take this opportunity to warn loan sharks. You cannot accept 4Ps cash cards that are being pawned by beneficiaries.)
“Labag po sa batas ‘yan and they are charging 20 to 40 percent dun sa kabuuan makukuha so nababawasan ng halos 40 percent ‘yung monthly assistance ng gobyerno sa [beneficiaries],” he added.
(This is against the law and loan sharks are charging 20 to 40 percent of the entire cash assistance so around 40 percent is deducted to the monthly assistance of the government to the beneficiaries.)
Tulfo said loan sharks could land in jail if they are caught.
Unqualified recipients
Tulfo also bared plans to remove around one million beneficiaries of the program who are now deemed unqualified to receive the cash aid.
“We have a lot of reports, even the President, nakakatanggap na ng mga sumbong sa kanya na ‘yung mga kapitbahay daw may mga magagandang bahay at may mga trabaho na ‘yung anak and yet hindi pa nila sinu-surrender ‘yung kanilang 4Ps,” Tulfo said.
(We have accepted a lot of reports that their neighbors already have nice houses and that the children already have jobs but the beneficiaries are not surrendering their 4Ps yet.)
In some cases, beneficiaries would even close their doors during visits from DSWD representatives while some have already transferred homes to a new address.
“Nakakalimutan siguro nila na this is conditional. May mga condition silang susundin,” Tulfo said, adding that DSWD has also removed in the past beneficiaries who are using the cash assistance for their vices.
(They may be forgetting that this is conditional. They have conditions they have to follow.)
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