‘Pantawid’ program working; hunger situation worse without it – Soliman

By: Dona Z. Pazzibugan - 10 years ago

Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman refused to acknowledge Wednesday that the government’s conditional cash transfer program for the poor may not be working in the face of the worsening hunger incidence in the country.

The latest quarterly Social Welfare Station (SWS) survey estimated that 4.8 million Filipinos experienced involuntary hunger during the third quarter of the year, an increase from the estimated 3.6 million during the second quarter, the worst results since June last year.

But Soliman insisted the survey results did not indicate that the conditional cash transfer program, called Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino, was not working.

“In fact, without our programs, the survey may have yielded more detrimental results,” she claimed, adding that the government has to “intensify our programs to ensure that the number will not increase anymore.”

Reiterating her defense against doubts about the effectiveness of the multi-billion-peso dole program, Soliman said solving hunger and poverty takes a long time.

“We cannot quickly eradicate poverty and hunger. Survey results like those of the SWS are good reference points. They should not prevent us from addressing our people’s needs,” Soliman said in a statement.

According to the Department of Social Welfare and Development, 4,396,996 poor families avail themselves of monthly cash grants meant to support the education, health and food needs of their children.

Soliman said the Pantawid Pamilya’s impact on alleviating poverty in poor families can not be measured immediately.

“The investment in the children’s education would only be fully felt ten years from when the program started, when the children have graduated and have been gainfully employed. They will be the ones to help their family get out of poverty,” she said.

Since the SWS survey showed that the hunger rate increased in all areas except Mindanao, Soliman suggested that the increase in the hunger rate in “Balance Luzon” (outside Metro Manila) was due to the agricultural damage caused by typhoons Glenda (which hit the country in July) and Mario (in September).

She attributed the slight decline in the hunger rate in Mindanao compared to the previous quarter to the decreased skirmishes between government troops and Muslim rebels due to the peace agreement.