Despite denying poverty spread, gov’t ups dole targets

TACLOBAN CITY—More than 54,000 poor families from Eastern Visayas have been identified as new beneficiaries of the government’s cash dole program.

The new batch will receive their financial assistance in December, said Joan Baclay, information officer of the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).

Of the 54,409 new beneficiaries, 11,831 are from Baybay City and the towns of Hindan, Inopacan, Babatngon and Tanauan in Leyte.

In Eastern Samar, there are 17,396 new beneficiaries from Borongan City and the towns of Balangiga, Balangkayan,Can-avid, Dolores, Hernani, Llorente, Maslog, Oras, Quinapondan, Salcedo and San Julian.

In Biliran, the new beneficiaries from the towns of Naval, Almeria, Biliran, Culaba and Maripipi reached 3,484.

From the towns of Bontoc, Libagon, Liloan, Limasawa, Malitbog, Pintuyan, St. Bernard, San Francisco, San Ricardo, Tomas Oppus and Maasin City in Southern Leyte, 10,255 additional families could avail themselves of the cash dole program.

On the other hand, Northern Samar, where the program was first launched in the region in 2008, will have an additional 11,443 beneficiaries from the towns of Allen, Bobon, Catarman and Silvino Lobos.

The government hands out P500 to P1,000 per month to beneficiaries who meet conditions like sending children to school and medical checkups.

From January to November this year, the DSWD has released P386 million to at least 168,000 beneficiaries.