DSWD, DILG, COMELEC sign agreement on Bawal ang Epal Dito campaign The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) together with the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and Commission on Elections (COMELEC) signed a Joint Memorandum Circular to intensify the ‘Bawal ang Epal Dito’ (BAED) campaign to stop politicians from using the government’s conditional cash transfer or Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program in the forthcoming barangay elections in October. DSWD Secretary Corazon Juliano-Soliman, DILG Undersecretary Austere Panadero and COMELEC Chairman Sixto Brillantes signed the agreement yesterday at the COMELEC office in Intramuros. Secretary Soliman said that “With the signing of the joint circular by the DSWD, DILG and COMELEC, we are hopeful that the number of election-related Pantawid Pamilya grievances will drastically decrease because it will now impose sanctions to erring incumbent and/or newcomer politicians from using the program for their political interest. The DSWD is strengthening the BAED campaign especially with incidence reports in the May 13 mid-term elections that some politicians and groups were using the CCT to threaten beneficiaries and to gather votes. “Based on our experience, election period has been one of the most crucial events in the implementation of our programs as there are individuals, electoral candidates and government officials who use the program to advance their political interest. During the mid-term elections we have made our message clear, thus, we continue with our campaign,’ Secretary Soliman added. Secretary Soliman emphasized that “Hindi po dapat matakot ang mga benepisyaryo ng programa kung hindi nila iboboto ang mga politikong gumagamit sa programa dahil walang makakapag-alis sa kanila sa listahan kung hindi silang benepisyaryo mismo. Kung hindi sila tutupad sa pagpapasok ng kanilang anak ng 85 na porsyento bawat buwan, hindi regular na pagpunta sa rural health clinic, hindi pagdalo sa family development sessions o hindi tamang paggamit ng tulong ng programa, ito po ang mga dahilan upang matanggal sila sa listahan. (No one had the right to delist a beneficiary from the program and only the DSWD Regional and National Offices were authorized to do so. Only those 4Ps beneficiaries who fail to comply with the conditions of the program would also be taken off the list). Rodella Race, a parent leader in Baseco, Tondo who attended the event was also very happy with the partnership of DSWD, DILG and COMELEC. “Sa mga kagaya kong parent leader huwag po tayong matakot sa mga pulitikong gumagamit sa programa na tayo ay kanilang aalisin kapag hindi natin sila ibinoto. Tanging ang DSWD lamang ang ahensiya na makapagtatangal sa atin sa listahan kung hindi tayo tutupad sa mga kondisyon ng programa,” Rodella said. Pantawid Pamilya is the government’s program which provides cash grants to poor household with the condition that they send their children to school, and along with pregnant mothers, visit their health centers regularly. The cash grants are in investment in human capital, specially child education, maternal and child health. At present, the program has 3,924,157 poor household -beneficiaries in 1,627 cities and municipalities in 79 provinces.
Posted on: Thu, 03 Oct 2013 01:45:02 +0000
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