ALFONSO LISTA, IFUGAO – – Help is on its way!
This is good news for 4Ps (Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program) beneficiaries in Ifugao following the announcement of Governor Jerry Dalipog that rice relief from the national government are to be delivered at the soonest.
For this initiative, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has been tasked to ensure that the 4Ps beneficiaries get their rice allocations at the quickest time.
The DSWD temporarily suspended the release of cash grants to indigent Filipinos under the government’s 4Ps program due to the COVID-19 health crisis. It immediately drew the ire and caused an uproar from many sectors throughout the country. Hence, the act of giving them a few kilos of rice was seen as a “stop-gap” measure intended to cut down dissatisfaction among the low-income bracket Filipinos and those surviving at subsistence levels.
President Duterte directed recently national agencies to immediately provide assistance to the needy for them to cope in these hard times brought about by the coronavirus (COVID-19) health crisis.
“I’m aware of the difficulties faced by the 4Ps sector and many others in Ifugao. The provincial government shall continue providing assistance to them,” the governor was quoted recently.
There are 9,479 4Ps beneficiaries in Ifugao. Alfonso Lista town accounts for 2.34 percent of the total or 1,405.
The biggest number of 4Ps beneficiaries in this town are in Barangay Sta. Maria. It has 191. There are 131 and 106 beneficiaries in Barangays Pinto and Caragasan, respectively. Barangay Kiling has 94 beneficiaries, while Barangay Sto. Domingo has 93.
Breakdown of figures on this score shows that Barangay Ngileb with 88; Little Tadian– 83; Busilac– 75; San Marcos– 63; San Quintin– 59; Laya and Namnama– 58 each; Potia– 55; Namillangan– 51; San Jose– 50; San Juan– 44; Dolowog– 37; Calupaan — 33; Calimag– 22 and Bangar– 17.
The 4Ps or the conditional cash transfer mode to upgrade the lives of the poor is a flagship program of the national government initially started under the administration of then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
The 4Ps beneficiaries have been described as the country’s “poorest of the poor.” Ifugao is one of the poorest provinces in the Philippines.
There are more than 10 million children who are under the 4Ps program.
The 4Ps beneficiaries are among the most vulnerable people during the present crisis.
The 4Ps families are hard-pressed to go to a hospital and buy medicines at this point of time. Costly facial masks, alcohol, sanitizers and even soap are depriving them of adequate protection from the coronavirus. Food expenditures of poor Filipinos are badly affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. They have to stretch even more the little budget they have to make both ends meet.
The 4Ps beneficiaries may be among the few who haven’t received ample relief assistance from the officialdom during these frightening times.
Various sectors hailed the move to provide rice relief packs to 4Ps beneficiaries as well as Governor Dalipog’s commitment to help the poor during the community quarantine period.
Rice is the staple food of Filipinos. Rice supplies are reportedly precariously low in Ifugao.
How true this is. And we can also say, “No rice, no peace.”
Farmers or peasants have always distinguished themselves for feeding the people. Soil tillers drive local and national economies. They’re key players of economic stability, a vital part of the national engine that bolsters economic growth.
Even in a crippled economy as this one, there should be rice on the plate of an impoverished Filipino. It is very simple. No poor Filipino should be deprived of rice during meal time.
For many years, Governor Dalipog has put words into action. Through the goodness of his heart, Governor Dalipog has spearheaded projects geared at feeding the hungry.
A pivotal moment in these critical times is for a leader to be a compassionate champion of the downtrodden. The governor’s desire to bring new life into “public service” was very much in keeping with the time in which he strengthened his character and he became a champion of the “common tao.” This crisis May well be the “driving force” that shall sustain all his adrenalin to serve the people. As a dedicated public servant, Governor Dalipog used his experience as a mayor in Banaue town to help many in far-flung barangays in Ifugao overcome life’s many challenges.
The 4Ps program, while lauded by the World Bank for aiding the have-nots, has been criticized by many as a mere “dole-out” item.
Giving them a few kilos of rice to get over the crisis also entails provision of key food provisions. Surely, this is not an effective way of changing their lives for the better.
Long lines of 4Ps beneficiaries are usually seen at the Land Bank. A beneficiary withdraws, through an ATM card, Php 500. But has it worked? Many don’t think so, and the extent to which the line is increasing seems to suggest they were right. How do you expect the line to get shorter when more Filipinos ended jobless individuals as a result of closure of business establishments due to the soaring cases of the coronavirus? More than any previous experience, national, provincial, municipal and even barangay officials need constantly to relearn a way of addressing the mounting poverty problem. Giving them a few kilos of rice as a short-term solution to a lingering problem can help policymakers have a head start in undoing the mess.
Is there really a way out for the distressed 4Ps? How about citing an example in the grassroots level?
Here is one. The firm determination of Punong Barangay Jovito Valenzuela of Sto. Domingo to fulfill the mission of building better lives for his constituents that was entrusted by the village’s 1,111 voters, is a case in point. Punong Barangay Valenzuela focuses on pro-poor programs and projects in the village’s three puroks and seven sitios. He is constantly in touch with the 93 4Ps beneficiaries in the barangay. It is about 45 percent of the 414 households of Sto. Domingo, the scenic home of 2,948 villagers.
Transforming Sto. Domingo into a major agro-tourism hub of Alfonso Lista is simply the key in building a progressive and inclusive village. The popular bird-watching site is situated in a sitio of the barangay. Sto. Domingo is largely a farming barangay.
For any reason, if the 4Ps Php 500 monthly “grant” is not what it should be, then the other piece-meal aids such as a few kilos of rice is a no-brainer- the barangay government should focus on endeavors geared to build resilient communities, not economically deprived ones, making the poor ready to face the numerous challenges all the way. The barangay council should embark on livelihood projects to transform unemployed members of the 4Ps sector into productive ones- not mendicants, making cash-strapped Filipinos fully aware of their role in propelling growth and development. Fishponds are ideal for raising tilapia, carp and panggasius should be considered by Punong Barangay Valenzuela to generate jobs.
Today, many of the parents of 4Ps children are able-bodied individuals but are jobless for a long period of time even before the COVID-19 crisis. The assumption is that they are merely contented with the meager amount of money given by the government. In actuality, they rarely are. Everyone has things to do to resuscitate the bruised economy in the post-COVID-19 period. Making time for the productivity slowdown provides the much-needed lift to carry the less fortunate through the days of economic recovery.
Jobs like tour guides and those linked to farming and fishery extended to parents of 4Ps beneficiaries are far better than the “petty” conditional cash grant they are receiving from month to month. Barangay government officials should persist in their efforts to provide innovative programs that will bring worry-free tomorrow for those who are living in sub-human conditions.
Development of an agro-tourism based economy in Sto. Domingo means a lot in fast-tracking the poverty reduction program of the government. With decent-paying jobs, members of Sto. Domingo’s 4Ps sector shall cease to exist. In other words, from 93 to zero, and Sto. Domingo shall earn the distinction as the only barangay in the country without a 4Ps beneficiary.
In addition to touching base with 4Ps beneficiaries, Punong Barangay Valenzuela advised poor villagers to observe “social distancing.” **By Anthony A. Araos
