7.4 million households to get unconditional cash transfers in 1st quarter: DOF

February 23, 2018

Unconditional cash transfers amounting to P2,400 for 2018 will be distributed within the first quarter to  some 7.4 million households, comprising the 4.4 million existing beneficiaries under the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) and 3 million  indigent senior citizens already receiving social pensions, according to the Department of Finance (DOF) Friday.

Finance Undersecretary Karl Kendrick Chua said the schedule  by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) show that 4PS beneficiaries will receive a top-up to their existing conditional cash transfers (CCTs) in February if they are getting their benefits through automatic teller machine cards, and in March if they get these over the counter .

Over the counter releases are those that beneficiaries get via conduits such as rural banks, cooperatives and non-government organizations.

Social pensioners will also start receiving their allocations in March this year, he added.

The DWSD expects all 10 million beneficiary-households—comprising the poorest 50 percent of the population—to receive their unconditional cash  transfers by August, Chua said.

These unconditional cash transfers of P200 a month or a total of P2,400 this year will be increased to P300 a month or a total of P3600 a year in 2019 and 2020, Chua said.

“The 4.4 existing beneficiaries, will get a top-up in February if they are receiving through automated teller machines and in March if they are receiving through over the counter. And then the social pensioners will begin receiving in March so the total is 7.4 million,” Chua said.

“The balance of 2.6 (million households), those are the new ones that are being registered now so that is expected in August. But when they get it in August they get the full year (amount).”

For 2018, the government has allocated P25.67 billion for UCTs under the General Appropriations Act to help low-income households cope with the slight inflationary impact of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Act (TRAIN).

Of the P25.67 billion, P24.49 billion is under the account of the Land Bank of the Philippines, which will distribute the unconditional cash transfers nationwide via automated teller machine card transfers, over the counter or through conduit systems such as rural banks, NGOs and cooperatives.

The remaining P1.18 billion has been allocated to cover the administrative costs of implementing this social protection program.

Chua said that starting next year, the government expects to distribute 100 percent of the UCTs through the use of ATM cards by the beneficiaries.

The 2018 GAA also includes allocations amounting to P3.11 billion for the jeepney modernization program as provided under the TRAIN.

Of this amount, P843.45 million is lodged in the budget of the Department of Transportation (DOTr), the chief implementor of the program, while P2.27 billion is equally divided between the LandBank and the Development Bank of the Philippines, which will extend the loans to jeepney drivers and operators for the modernization project.

Under the TRAIN, up to 30 percent of the incremental revenues from this law is earmarked for social mitigation measures, while 70 percent will help support the government’s “Build, Build, Build” infrastructure program. DMS