DSWD drops 19,000 as cash beneficiaries

At least 19,028 people in Eastern Visayas have been removed from the list of beneficiaries of the government’s cash assistance program since it was launched in 2008.

Of the number, 8,515 were disqualified as beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) after the Department of Social Welfare and Development in the region found that they weren’t poor and had regular jobs.

Also disqualified were 9,202 people for failing to attend assemblies as required by the dole program, and 799 others for moving to areas outside of the program’s coverage.

At least 84 have children already past 14 years old, while some have names appearing twice on the list.

The DSWD had originally listed 188,916 as beneficiaries of the 4Ps program. They were to receive up to P1,400 a month. Joey A. Gabieta, Inquirer Visayas