Abstract

While 4Ps is part of Good Governance and Anti-Corruption (GGAC) Plan of the Aquino Administration, it is not an identified Open Government Partnership initiative.
The researchers delved into how the OGP core principles are resonated through the 4Ps based on the OGP initiative facets: credibility of partnership, strength and
innovation in open government approaches, evidence of results, sustainability and special recognition. This study employed a descriptive quantitative research method
utilizing a standardized questionnaire, Open Government Awards-The Scoring Process. In order to discuss the issues and concerns of the grand challenges of the OGP
Action Plan, a Multiple Stakeholder Approach was utilized. 4Ps invests in health and education of poor households, particularly of children aged 0-18 years old, requiring
compliance of certain conditionalities. The 4Ps serves dual objectives: poverty alleviation and investment in human capital. It operates in 79 provinces covering 1484
municipalities, 143 cities in 17 regions with 4,090,667 registered households as of 25 June 2014. Stakeholders are one in saying that 4Ps is highly compliant of the OGP
initiatives. Issues and concerns on the 4Ps are classified into (1) improving public service including nonidentification of supposed beneficiaries, areas regarded as GIDA,
need to establish rapport with partner agencies, system concerns, and protracted grievance mechanism process; (2) increasing public integrity: non-compliance to
guidelines, poor attitude on public health, and issues of permanence and fear of discontinuance; and (3) managing public resources, lack of data updating and tracking
mechanism, lack of personnel, decentralization, lack of information dissemination, and delayed cash transfer. The 4Ps is reflective of the core values of OGP and its
challenges as observed by the stakeholders. The positive observation and the credible impact of the 4Ps pushed for clamors for institutionalization of the program to
ensure sustainability. Further, there is a need for better collaboration between and among the stakeholders in order to best address challenges, issues and concerns in the
implementation of the 4Ps.
Abstract
This note discusses two of the Philippines'biggest social assistance programs the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, the government's first conditional cash transfer
(CCT) program, and the rice subsidy program of the National Food Authority (NFA), one of the country's long-standing food-based social assistance programs with a
focus on targeting efficiency and the benefits to the poor. The goal of the CCT program, which has an explicit poverty targeting mechanism embedded in the program, is
to provide short-term cash assistance to poor households while helping to strengthen human capital of their children with the long-run vision of breaking the cycle of
poverty. The goal of rice subsidy program is to ensure that low-priced rice is available in the markets to all consumers. Using benefit incidence analysis on the latest
official household surveys of 2009, results suggest that both programs benefit poorest households the most. This has implications for the CCT program given the program
was only launched with limited coverage in 2008. Despite having been implemented for one year as captured by the data, the program had already reached 12.4 percent
of poor households in 2009. Moreover, about 71 percent of its beneficiaries in 2009 belonged to the poorest 20 percent of the population and accounted for 74 percent of
total program benefits.

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ISSN 2362-8030 Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps): Assistance to Pupil’s Education MONICA M. MONTILLA, ELREEN A. DELAVIN, RUDY M.
VILLANUEVA JR., ROCEL A. TURCO Dr. Emilio B. Espinosa, Sr. Memorial State College of Agriculture and Technology, Philippines leanerdnivaled@gmail.com
Date Received: March 17, 2015; Date Revised: May 29, 2015 Abstract – Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) is a version of cash transfer program here in the
Philippines under the Department of Social Welfare and Development, its aim is to eradicate extreme poverty in the Philippines by investing in health and education
particularly to children from 0- 18 years old. The research focused on the education of pupils with the 4Ps assistance. To verify the use, help and satisfactory level of this
program to the pupils from poor families in the said school, the researchers used the quantitative and qualitative method. With the use of a rating scale, questionnaires
and interview guide, it was revealed that pupils very satisfactorily benefit from the assistance given by the 4Ps in terms of Health and excellent in terms of Nutrition and
Education. Thus, 4Ps has significant impact on pupils’ education based on its beneficiary conditionalities, is able and motivated to attend classes because of adequate
school supplies, satisfied meals, parasitic free stomach and supportive and active parents. Keywords – 4Ps, assistance, education, health, nutrition INTRODUCTION
Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program or 4Ps (formerly Ahon Pamilyang Pilipino) is a version of conditional cash transfer program here in the Philippines under the
Department of Social Welfare and Development. It aims to eradicate extreme poverty in the Philippines by investing in health and education particularly in children from
0-18 years of age. It is patterned on programs in other developing countries like Brazil (Bolsa Familia), Columbia (Familias en Accion) and Mexico (Oportunidades)
(Defensor). The 4Ps program now operates in 17 regions, 79 provinces and 143 cities, and 1,484 municipalities covering 4,326,208 household beneficiaries (4Ps). Masbate
Province is one of the poor provinces, and one of the 4Ps beneficiaries. Wherein the goal of the program is to help poor residents to improve their health, nutrition, and
education especially children from 0-18 years by providing cash grants (Social Assistance) and invest human capital (Social Development) (Defensor). Masbate is facing
an extreme poverty, hunger, high growth of population, and malnutrition. Hence, 4Ps helps to resolve these existing problems for example, pregnant women and children
visits health center for check-ups and vaccination, parents or guardians attend Family Development Sessions (FDS) for responsible parenting, and parents sent their
children in public schools in behalf of the conditionalities to receive cash grants. However, there are issues emerged towards the proper use of cash grants, for example
other parents or guardians spend the money for gambling and other expenditures instead of complying on the conditions. In order to find out the answer regarding the
issues, the study focused on the help and aid given by the program for the pupils to succeed in their schooling and complete their primary education. 4Ps as mentioned
helps to improve education, and beneficiaries look forward on this perspective despite its short term implementation, ranging only for at most five years (4Ps Official
Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines).. Indeed, the program and its major objective is to alleviate poverty and break its intergenerational cycle is still a big question
as poor Filipino families, children, and pupils experienced today in our country particularly in Masbate province, specifically in Diogenes R. Cabarles Elementary School.
However, every beneficiary aims for a positive change in their societal status with the help of this program, concerning their health, nutrition, and children’s’ education.
Asia Pacific Journal of Education, Arts and Sciences, Vol. 2 No. 3, July 2015 3

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ISSN 2362-8030 MATERIALS AND METHODS Research Design This study used the quantitative and qualitative research method, wherein the researchers utilized the
survey with the use of interview method, rating scale and questionnaire. The said interview method, rating scale, questionnaire helped the researchers find out the response
of the beneficiaries (parent & pupil) and teacher toward the assistance given by the 4Ps program. The researchers interviewed the Pupil beneficiaries one by one in the
school. The responses of the respondents have to be synthesized into one to come up with a very dominant answer. Respondents Profile The respondents of this study are
the beneficiaries of the 4Ps Program: Pupils studying in Diogenes R. Cabarles Elementary School, Bat-ongan, Mandaon, Masbate; Parent / guardian of the pupils who are
also 4Ps beneficiary and; Teacher of the pupils. Research Instrument This Study used the Probability Sampling Technique, which is the lottery method or draw by lots.
Out of 27 Elementary Schools with 4Ps beneficiaries in the entire District of Mandaon, the researchers come-up with Diogenes R. Cabarles Elementary School as the
result of the draw, and obtained samples from respondents through Quota Sampling. The method used in data gathering included an interview guide for eparent that was
formulated in Mother tongue, while for teachers is the English language. The rating scale is also formulated in English, and in concrete words to be more comprehensible.
The researchers found these methods useful and effective. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Table 1. Percentage of 4Ps Beneficiaries in Diogenes R. Cabarles Elementary
School No. of Teacher Total population No. of Pupils beneficiaries % 11 447 295 66% There are 295 pupils with 4P’s benefits out of 447 total populations in Diogenes
R. Cabarles Elementary School. Table 2. Level of Satisfaction of Pupils with 4Ps benefits. Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4P’s) Benefits WM VI Health 1. 1. I
receive deworming pills twice a year. 4.02 VS 2. 2. My weight is monitored every month. 4.37 E Average Weighted Mean 4.19 VS NUTRITION 1. 1. I eat my meal
three (3) times a day. 4.84 E 2. 2. My parents/guardian are able to give my daily school allowance (“baon”) 4.63 E Average Weighted Mean 4.73 E EDUCATION 1. I
am able to attend classes everyday 4.37 E 2. My parents/guardians are able to pay my school contributions. 4.69 E 3. My parents/guardians are able to provide my school
requirements (projects, school supplies, allowance, etc.) 4.74 E Average Weighted Mean 4.56 E Scale: 4.21- 5.00 – excellent (E); 3.41- 4.20 – very satisfactory (VS);
2.61- 3.40 – satisfactory (S); 1.81- 2.60 – fairly satisfactory (FS); 1.00-1.80 – not satisfactory (NS) HEALTH. Two of health conditionalities or benefits including 6-14
years old should receive deworming pills twice a year and should have weight monitoring (4Ps DSWD, 2006). . Study shows that pupils are very satisfactorily receiving
deworming pills with the weighted mean of 4.02. As supported by (20th Century Hookworm Eradication, 2007) found treatments to increase enrollment, attendance,
literacy and adult incomes, and based on (Randomized Trial in Kenya, 2000), found that school-based deworming reduces school absenteeism with 25%. Findings also
revealed a weighted mean of 4.37 responded that they are excellently satisfied in terms in weight monitoring. As cited by (Conchada & Tiongco, 2014) that health check-
ups and visiting the health center have increased because of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Asia Pacific Journal of Education, Arts and Sciences, Vol. 2 No. 3, July 2015
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ISSN 2362-8030 Program. Consequently, findings show that very satisfactorily they are benefited by 4Ps in terms of health with an average weighted mean of 4.19.
NUTRITION. Findings revealed from pupils’ responses that they eat their meals three (3) times a day with a weighted mean of 4.84, considered as a help of financial
support given by the 4P’s to buy their daily food. From the financial support (Php 500/month) (4Ps DSWD, 2006) as well, that a weighted mean of 4.63 (excellent), pupils
responded that their parents/guardian are able to give their daily school allowance (“baon”). As supported by the findings of (NFSMI, 2001) they found out those school-
age children who eat breakfast does better on performance tests than with no breakfast. Same with the study conducted by wherein around 72% of respondents answered
that they spend at least P200 on daily meals, and majority of them said that their food budget only partly covers 3 meals per day, based on this, the DSWD said the 4Ps
program is “on track in achieving its goal of empowering poor families including the improvement of their nutritional status.” However, (National Nutritional Survey)
revealed that many Filipinos of being beneficiaries of government assistance programs or not- still suffer from undernutrition. Accordingly, findings revealed that pupils
are excellently benefited by 4Ps in terms of their nutrition with an average weighted mean of 4.73. EDUCATION. 4Ps gives Php 300/month as support for the education
of pupils from 3-4 years, thus as a condition, a child enrolled in elementary school must maintain class attendance rate at least 85% per month (4Ps DSWD, 2006) and as
expected by schools they can pay their contribution and provide school requirements (projects, school supplies, allowance, etc.). Findings show that pupils responded
excellently that they are able to attend classes everyday with the average rating of 4.37, and motivated to go to school every day because of 4P’s. Study also reveals that
pupils of D.R.C.E.S. responded excellently with an average rating of 4.69 that their parents/guardian are able to pay their school contributions and 4.74 weighted average
shows a excellently response of pupils that their parents/guardian are able to provide their school requirements (projects, school supplies, allowance, etc.). With the
support of (Amico,1995) states, traditionally parent involvement in education has included home-based activities (such as homework, encouraging children to read, and
promoting school attendance) and school-based (such as attending PTA meetings, parent-teacher conferences, concerts and other school events, helping to raise money
for various school-improvement projects, and voluntary at school during the day). Thus, study shows that 4Ps beneficiary pupils are excellently benefited by the program
with an average weighted mean of 4.56. Impact of 4Ps to the Pupil beneficiaries on their schooling Table3. Attendance, Compliance of requirements, and Difficulties
encountered by teachers in handling 4Ps beneficiary pupils. Impact of 4Ps to the Pupil Beneficiaries on their schooling YES NO f % f % 1. Attendance. Are all of them
attending their classes regularly? 6 55 3 27 2.Compliance of requirements 9 82 2 18 3.Difficulties encountered by teachers in handling 4Ps beneficiary pupils 3 27 7 64
1. 2. Attendance. Findings revealed that out of 11, 6 or 55% said that their pupils with 4Ps benefits are attending classes regularly and 3 or 27% said that sometimes attend
the classes and sometimes not. Thus, it indicates that there is less absenteeism between the 4Ps pupils. However, this finding is in contrast with (IPC) that whether school
attendance will translate into academic achievement, completion of education and eventually gain full employment remains blurry because of lack of other income
generating opportunities, high cost of education and limited provision and duration of 4Ps as major constraints, their children’s full acquisition and benefits of education.
On the other hand, results showed that this differences may occur in different situations since teachers are mandated by DSWD , in Diogenes R. Cabarles Elementary
School to monitor the attendance of his/her 4Ps pupils and because education is free. As supported by a study (Manasan,2011) that there is a significant improvement in
school attendance and is already Asia Pacific Journal of Education, Arts and Sciences, Vol. 2 No. 3, July 2015
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ISSN 2362-8030 evident in areas covered by the program wherein he found out that the number of students in public elementary schools grew from 0.6%. In 2004-2007
the 4Ps program is not yet implemented and raised to 3.7% in 2008-2010 when the program was already implemented. Compliance. Study shows that 82% of teachers
said that pupils with 4Ps benefits they are handling, comply the requirements (projects, contributions) however, 18% said no. This implies that almost of 4Ps beneficiaries
pupils comply the requirements like paying HRPTA contributions. However, findings also show that 18% of teachers said that pupils don’t comply the requirements in
school. One of the respondents claimed that the “budget for contribution of project are spent in other expenses, like gambling, and hard liquor.” Difficulties encountered
by teachers in handling 4Ps beneficiary pupils. Findings revealed 7 (64%) out of 11 said that they don’t have difficulties encountered in handling 4P’s beneficiary pupils
and cited no example, however 3 (27%) also said they encountered difficulties, like absenteeism (most occurring reason) submitting projects, adequate of school supplies
and lack of attention. Thus, study shows that there are difficulties encountered by teacher in handling 4Ps pupils but most of the teachers said they don’t have. Advantages
in handling pupils with 4Ps benefits. Study shows majority of the respondents (teachers) said that there are advantages in handling pupils with 4Psbenefits. It reveals that
the main advantage of this a) pupils always go to school and are able to attend classes and b) equipped with school supplies ( paper and pencils). Other respondents
claimed also that a) the parents of the pupils are actively paying school’s contributions; b) parents support the pupils in project making and comply the school requirements,
c) pupils sufficient have “baon”, d) other advantages were pupils come to school without complaining about their meals, they are eager to learn, active in class, and
participate actively in every school activity. Occupation. Findings revealed that 68% of the occupation of parents is housekeeper/housewife and they are unemployed and
1% of them are fish vendor, student and carpenter and the remaining percentage belongs to the farmers. As supported by (4Ps), the eligible households must be a resident
of the poorest municipalities which is based on the 2003 Small Area Estimates (SAE) of the National Statistics Coordination Board (NSCB), those whose economic
condition is equal to or below the provincial poverty threshold, those who have children from 0-18 years old and those who have agreed to meet the conditions specified
in the program. Table 4. Occupation of Parents of the Pupils Beneficiary Occupation f % Housewife/ Housekeeper 71 67 Farmer 24 23 Fish Vendor/Street Vendor 1 0.9
Carpenter 1 0.9 Student 1 0.9 Table 5. Monthly Income Monthly Income f % 1-500 55 52% 501-1000 18 16% 1001-1500 12 11% 1501-2000 6 6% 2001-2500 7 7%
2501-3000 1 0.9% 3001-3500 4 4% 3501-4000 2 2% 4001-4500 0 0% 4501-5000 1 0.9% MONTHLY INCOME. The income of the parents revealed from 1-500 of 52%
of respondents. Findings revealed that they have a low income and it’s only enough for their foods. However, findings also show that there are parents said they have a
monthly income of Php 500 to Php 5,000. .As supported also by (4Ps), the eligible households must be a resident of the poorest municipalities which is based on the 2003
Small Area Estimates (SAE) of the National Statistics Coordination Board (NSCB) includes those whose economic condition is equal to or below the provincial poverty
threshold. Asia Pacific Journal of Education, Arts and Sciences, Vol. 2 No. 3, July 2015
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ISSN 2362-8030 VIEWS OF PARENTS ON 4Ps. Is 4Ps really helps your family especially in your children’s education? Findings show that all of the parents answered
YES. 50% of them stated that the 4Ps program with financial assistance given every month helps them to send their children in school and improve their children’s health
because they can afford to buy nutritious foods and vitamins (food supplement).One of the respondents claimed “4Ps is a great help for us especially in providing our
children’s needs, vitamins and for their education. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION A conclusion may review the main points of the paper, do not replicate
the abstract as the conclusion. A conclusion might elaborate on the importance of the work or suggest applications and extensions. REFERENCES Amico, Joe D’ (1995)
Families and Schools Together Rural Audio Journal,Vol. 3, no. 3. North Central Regional Educational Laboratory, 1995 Ateneo’s Institute of Philippine Culture (IPC)
Good news and bad/ Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism,2011 RetrievedJanuary23, 2015 from http://pcij.org/tag/conditional-cash-transferprogram/ Conchada,
Mitzie Irene P. and Tiongco, Mariter (2014) Optimal Allocation of School and Health Resources for Effective Delivery of the Conditional Cash Transfer Program in
Bagac, Bataan, DLSU Research Congress 2014. De La Salle, University, Manila, Philippines DSWD Survey: Beneficiaries Spend P200 in food daily, 2014Retrieved
February 6, 2015 from http://www.rappler.com./move-ph/41793- pantawid-program-working-well Manasan, Rosario G., (2011)Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program
and School Attendance: Early Indications of Success. Philippine Institute for Development Studies Retrieved February 9, 2015 from
http://serpp.pids.gov.ph/download.php?=5023 8s=1 National Food and Services Management Institute( NFSMI), (2001) Nutrition and Cognitive Dvelopment. Mealtime
Memo for Child Care. The University of Mississippi , 2001 Retrieved January 23, 2015 from http://www.nfsmi.org National Nutrition Survey Retrieved February 6, 2015
from http://www.rappler.com/moveph/issues/hunger/618 27-2013-national-nutrition-survey Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) Retrieved February 6, 2015 from
http://www.f04b.dswd.gov.ph/index.php/programand-services/foreign-assiste projects/4Ps Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program Official Gazette of the Republic of the
Philippines Retrieved February 7, 2015 from http://www.gov.ph/programs/conditional-cashtransfer/ Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) DSWD, (2006) National
Sector Support for Social Welfare and Development Reform Project (NSSSWDRP) Retrieved November 28, 2014 from Site resources.worldbank.org/
INTPHILIPPINES/Resources/4PsDSWD Randomnized Trial in Kenya, (2000) Retrieved January 23, 2015 from http://www.povertyaction.org/project/0067 Senator
Miriam Defensor Santiago. Explanatory Note.The Constitution, Article 2, Section 9, Fifteenth Congress of the Republic of the Philippines. First Regular Session, Senate
S. No. 92 20TH Century Hookworm Eradication in the Southern United States, (2007)Retrieved January 23, 2015 from http://qje.oxfordjournals.org/content/122/173.short

www.worldbank.org.ph 1 PHILIPPINE SOCIAL PROTECTION NOTE MAY 2011 NO. 2 The Philippine Social Protection Note series aims to disseminate experiences,
good practices, and key findings from the Philippines on the topics related to social protection. It aims to broaden the dialogue on social protection and stimulate public
engagement in moving forward the policy agenda. The views expressed here are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the World Bank. Overview of
the Philippines’ Conditional Cash Transfer Program: The Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (Pantawid Pamilya) Luisa Fernandez and Rosechin Olfindo1 1.
Background The Pantawid Pamilya2 is a conditional cash transfer (CCT) program which provides cash to beneficiary households, subject to compliance with program
conditionalities. The Pantawid Pamilya is targeted at chronic poor households with children aged 0-14 years who are located in poor areas. The cash grants range from
P500 (US$11) to P1,400 (US$32) per household per month, depending on the number of eligible children.3 To qualify for the grants, beneficiary households must
undertake certain activities that are meant to improve the children’s health and education such as visiting health centers regularly, sending the children to school, and
undertaking preventive check-ups for pregnant women. Like most CCT programs, the Pantawid Pamilya aims to alleviate current poverty by supplementing the income
of the poor to address their immediate consumption needs, while the conditionalities can help improve human capital and thus break the intergenerational cycle of poverty.
The Pantawid Pamilya is central to the Philippine government’s poverty reduction and social protection strategy. In recent years, several countries have adopted the CCT
program as a new approach to providing social assistance to the poor. Many countries in Latin America have such a program, and large-scale CCT programs are also
being undertaken in Asian countries such as Bangladesh and Indonesia. In the Philippines, the Pantawid Pamilya started as a pilot program of the Department of Social
Welfare and Development (DSWD) in 2007 when the agency was embarking on social sector reform. Today, the program is seen more broadly as a vehicle for enhancing
coordination within the government in assisting the poor and for increasing the effectiveness of social protection programs. The Pantawid Pamilya does this by
complementing supplyside interventions of other line agencies such as the Department of Education (DepEd) and Department of Health (DOH) in addressing lagging
human development outcomes. Since its inception in 2007, the Pantawid Pamilya has expanded at a rapid pace and now covers about 30 percent of the Philippines’
eligible poor households. Following the pilot program conducted at the end of 2007—in which the household targeting system and basic operation of the Pantawid Pamilya
were tested—the Pantawid Pamilya was scaled up in March 2008 as a response to the food and fuel price shocks and global financial crisis.4 The Pantawid Pamilya has
undergone two more phases of expansion since then. By January 2011, the 1 World Bank Office Manila, the Philippines. For questions and clarifications about this note,
please email to lfernandezdelgad@ worldbank.org. Rashiel Velarde contributed with analysis in section 8. Comments were provided by Nazmul Chaudhury, Junko Onishi,
Yuko Okamura and Rashiel Velarde from the World Bank and Rosela Agcaoili and Tarsicio Castaneda from AusAID. Editorial assistance was provided by Minna Hahn
Tong. 2 The Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program was previously called 4Ps for short instead of Pantawid Pamilya. 3 US dollar equivalent based on average exchange
rate in January to March 2011 (BSP, 2011). 4 During the pilot period, the CCT program was called Ahon Pamilyang Pilipino Program. Six municipalities were covered:
four rural (Sibagat and Esperanza in Agusan del Sur, Lopez Jaena and Bonifacio in Misamis Occidental) and two urban (Pasay City and Caloocan City in Metro Manila).
Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized Source: DSWD. Number of beneficiaries for
2011 refers to target. Figure 1. The Pantawid Pamilya Coverage and Budgetary Support, 2007-2011 2 PHILIPPINE SOCIAL PROTECTION NOTE Overview of the
Philippines’ Conditional Cash Transfer Program: The Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (Pantawid Pamilya) program had about 1 million beneficiary households,
making the Pantawid Pamilya one of the largest social protection programs in the Philippines. The massive scale-up was made possible by pooling resources from the
government and the World Bank. The World Bank and Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) provided considerable technical assistance.
Subsequent phases have also been supported by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in coordination with the Government, World Bank, and AusAID.5 In 2011, the
Pantawid Pamilya aims to cover 2.3 million beneficiary households, or almost 60 percent of the poor households in the Philippines. The program has budgetary support
of P21 billion, or about 60 percent of DSWD’s budget (Figure 1), for 2011.6 The Pantawid Pamilya helps to fulfill the country’s commitment to meeting some of the
Millennium Development Goals (MDG). These MDGs include: eradicating extreme poverty, achieving universal primary education, promoting gender equality, reducing
child mortality, and improving maternal health. Government estimates indicate that 26.5 percent of the population was living below the poverty line in 2009, which was
lower than the baseline figure of 33.1 percent in 1991 but still far from the target of 16.6 percent by 2015. Progress in achieving MDG targets in education and health has
also been slow. In 2008, the net enrollment ratio in primary education was 85.1 percent, and only 75.4 percent of those in school were able to start Grade 1 and reach
Grade 6. The number of maternal deaths per 100,000 live births was 162 in 2006, more than three times the target of 52.3, while only 79.2 percent of one-year-old children
were immunized against measles in 2008.7 5 The World Bank provided funding support for the first and second phases of expansion, while ADB funded part of the
second phase and the third phase of expansion. AusAID has supported the Pantawid Pamilya since 2008 by financing the World Bank’s technical assistance to DSWD in
designing and implementing the Pantawid Pamilya and also by providing direct technical assistance to DSWD. 6 According to Government estimates, the Philippines had
3.8 million poor households in 2009 (NSCB, 2011a). 7 MDGs as stated in Pantawid Pamilya website (DSWD, 2011); MDG indicators as of February 2011 (NSCB,
2011b). DSWD takes the lead in implementing the Pantawid Pamilya, with support from key agencies and local partners. With the creation of the Pantawid Pamilya in
2007, the government formalized institutional arrangements among the agencies involved.8 DSWD works in partnership with key agencies such as DOH, DepEd,
Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), and Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) which help ensure the availability of health and education services as
well as provide necessary support services in the targeted areas. DSWD created the Pantawid Pamilya National Project Management Office (NPMO), which handles the
day-to-day operations of the program with assistance from Regional Project Management Offices (RPMO) and City/Municipal Links.9 DSWD also has support from
local service providers such as the school principals and midwives who have been designated to oversee and ensure proper verification of compliance to conditionalities.
2. Design Features of the Pantawid Pamilya 2.1. Targeting System The Pantawid Pamilya targets poor households located in the poorest areas of the Philippines. To be
eligible for the cash grants, households must meet multiple criteria at the time of registration. First, they must reside in poor areas selected by the program. Second, they
must be classified as poor. Third, a household must have a pregnant woman or at least one child aged 0-14 years. Four, the households must be willing to commit to
meeting program conditionalities. The targeting system follows a multi-step process. The poorest provinces are first selected based on official poverty incidence according
to the latest Family Income and Expenditure Survey (FIES) by the National Statistics Office (NSO). Within the selected provinces, the poorest municipalities are selected
based on the poverty incidence of Small Area Estimates (SAE) by the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB), while the poorest cities are selected based on a
standard set of indicators such as data on 8 The institutional arrangement among government agencies in the implementation of Pantawid Pamilya was formalized in the
following: a) Memorandum Circular 9 Series of 2007, Creating the Ahon Pamilyang Pilipino (APP) Program National Advisory Committees and defining their roles and
responsibilities; b) Administrative Order 16, Series of 2008, guidelines on the implementation of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (Pantawid Pamilya); and c) Joint
Memorandum Circular 1, Series of 2009, defining the institutional arrangements for the implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of the Pantawid Pamilya. 9
City/Municipal Links are persons assigned to oversee program operations at the city/municipality level. They are in close contact with beneficiary households. One
City/Municipal Link is assigned for every 1,000 beneficiary households in average starting in January 2011 to better respond to program implementation needs. From
2008 to 2010 the ratio was one municipal link to 1,500 beneficiary families. www.worldbank.org.ph 3 pockets of poverty.10 A household targeting system is then used
to identify poor households within the selected barangays. Finally, potential beneficiary households are selected among the poor households in the barangays based on
the eligibility criteria.11 List of potential beneficiary households is published at the barangay hall for community validation, before beneficiaries are enrolled in the
program. A core element of program implementation is the standardized household targeting system used to select beneficiary households. The targeting system uses the
proxy means test (PMT) method to select the poor households within a municipality. The PMT is a statistical tool that determines a household’s economic condition based
on information such as household composition, socio-economic characteristics, assets, housing conditions and tenure status, education, access to basic services, and
regional variables. It is widely considered to be the most straightforward, practical, and reliable way to gauge poverty, particularly in countries with large informal sectors
where incomes are difficult to verify. In selecting Pantawid Pamilya beneficiary households, DSWD conducts a nationwide survey of households and uses the PMT to
determine whether a household is poor. As of January 2011, about 10 million households were surveyed, of which 4.9 million households were identified as poor.12 10
For the first two phases of Pantawid Pamilya expansion, all barangays within the selected municipalities were included in the program, while the number of barangays
included within the selected cities depended on targets set by DSWD. 11 All implementation details of the Pantawid Pamilya targeting system are documented in the
Operations Manual for the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (DSWD, 2009a). 12 The household targeting system uses the FIES 2006 poverty
thresholds, which differ from the new poverty thresholds and new methodology for measuring poverty just released in March 2011 by NSCB. The household targeting
system was institutionalized and adopted as the main targeting system for identifying poor households in the Philippines. From 2007 to 2008, the targeting system was
embedded in the Pantawid Pamilya operations and was being managed by the Pantawid Pamilya NPMO.13 In 2009, successful implementation of the program prompted
DSWD to institutionalize the targeting system, which became the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTS-PR). DSWD created a separate
NPMO to manage the NHTS-PR through a de-concentrated approach at the regional level. The NHTS-PR, which contains a national database of poor households, can
also be used by other government agencies in identifying potential beneficiaries of their programs. By January 2011, DSWD had shared the database with the Philippine
Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), Department of Agriculture (DA), DOH, and International Labor Organization (ILO). Although the NHTS-PR has been used
to select poor beneficiary households throughout the program, the selection criteria for municipalities have differed in every phase of expansion. The first phase of
expansion (March-December 2008), which covered the first set of beneficiaries of the program (“Set 1”), was conducted in the poorest municipalities of the 20 poorest
provinces as well as the poorest provinces in other regions (Table 1). The second phase of expansion (March-July 2009), covering “Set 2” beneficiary 13 The household
assessment survey for the 2007 pilot program was conducted through universities, while subsequent surveys were conducted by DSWD through its regional offices. Table
1. The Pantawid Pamilya Beneficiary Households, by Sets Set of Beneficiary Households No. of Beneficiary Households % Dist. Period of Expansion Geographic
Coverage Selection Criteria Pilot 4,459 0.4 September to December 2007 3 regions, 3 provinces, 2 districts • 2 poorest provinces • Accessible municipalities to monitor
pilot testing Set 1 333,281 32.1 March to December 2008 17 regions, 33 provinces, 4 districts, 170 municipalities/cities • Poorest municipalities in 20 poorest provinces
• Poorest provinces in other regions Set 2 288,192 27.7 March to July 2009 11 regions, 28 provinces, 140 municipalities/cities • Poorest municipalities (poverty incidence
above 60 percent) Set 3 412,901 39.7 October 2009 to December 2010 17 regions, 77 provinces, 472 municipalities/cities • Individual selection of municipalities Total
1,038,833 100.0 782 municipalities Source: DSWD. 4 PHILIPPINE SOCIAL PROTECTION NOTE Overview of the Philippines’ Conditional Cash Transfer Program:
The Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (Pantawid Pamilya) Household Member Health Grant Conditionalities Education Grant Conditionalities Children aged 0-5
years • Visit health centers to avail of health services in the periodicity defined by DOH protocol • Children aged 3-5 years old who receive education grants must be
enrolled in a day care or pre-school program and maintain a class attendance rate of 85 percent per month Children aged 6-14 years • Take de-worming pills twice a year
at schools • Must be enrolled in elementary or secondary school and maintain a class attendance rate of 85 percent per month Pregnant Women • Have at least one pre-
natal consultation each trimester during the pregnancy • Delivery is assisted by skilled health personnel Grantee • Attend family development sessions at least once a
month Source: Operations Manual for Pantawid Pamilya. Table 2. The Pantawid Pamilya Conditionalities households, was conducted in municipalities where poverty
incidence was above 60 percent. The third phase of expansion (October 2009-December 2010), covering “Set 3” beneficiary households, did not take poverty incidence
into account in selecting municipalities since the aim was to extend coverage nationwide. Figure 2. The Pantawid Pamilya Geographic Coverage Source: Pantawid Pamilya
database as of January 2011. Nonetheless, as in the case of Sets 1 and 2 beneficiary households, Set 3 beneficiary households were selected using the NHTS-PR. Figure
2 shows the geographic coverage of the Pantawid Pamilya. 2.2. Program Conditionalities The health and education grants have different sets of conditionalities for the
age-relevant members of the beneficiary household. For the health grant, household members are required to undertake activities that help improve preventive health care,
particularly among pregnant women and children under 5 years (Table 2). The household has responsibility for bringing children aged 0-5 years to health centers for
immunization and weight monitoring, while the children aged 6-14 years are required to take de-worming pills at schools. Pregnant women must avail of pre- and post-
natal care, and delivery must be assisted by skilled personnel. The parents (including pregnant women) are also required to participate in Family Development Sessions
conducted by DSWD in the Pantawid Pamilya areas. For the education grant, the conditionalities help improve the enrollment and school attendance rates of children.
Children who attend pre-school or day care centers, primary school, or secondary school are required to maintain class attendance rates of at least 85 percent per month.
The numerous conditionalities of Pantawid Pamilya have made it more difficult to monitor compliance. In the initial design stage, the Pantawid Pamilya conditionalities
included school attendance of children aged 6-14 years and regular check-ups for children aged 0-5 years and pregnant women. More conditionalities were added as the
program evolved, partly in response to criticism by several sectors that the program would foster laziness and overdependence on the government. DSWD added the
conditionalities of pre-school or day care center attendance for children aged 3-5 6 PHILIPPINE SOCIAL PROTECTION NOTE Overview of the Philippines’ Conditional
Cash Transfer Program: The Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (Pantawid Pamilya) Households by Family Composition Share of Eligible Households (%) Ave.
Household Income/Year (Pesos) Health Grant/ Year (Pesos) Education Grant/ Year (Pesos) Total Grants In Pesos % of Income All children are 0-5 years old only 21
45,540 6,000 n/a 6,000 13 Children 0-5 years & 1 child 6-14 years 14 53,129 6,000 3,000 9,000 17 Children 0-5 years & 2 children 6-14 years 14 56,172 6,000 6,000
12,000 21 Children 0-5 years & 3 or more children 6-14 years 19 57,022 6,000 9,000 15,000 26 Only 1 child 6-14 years 11 53,268 6,000 3,000 9,000 17 Only 2 children
6-14 years 11 57,609 6,000 6,000 12,000 21 Only 3 or more children 6-14 years 10 61,872 6,000 9,000 15,000 24 Weighted Average 53,976 10,630 20 Source: 4Ps
database for household income. Table 5. Grants by Type of Eligible Household On average, Pantawid Pamilya grants account for about 20 percent of beneficiaries’ annual
household income. Conceptually, the amount of grants an eligible household can receive depends on the number of eligible children in the household. Hence, the share
of grants to total annual household income differs by household composition (Table 5). In the case of Pantawid Pamilya, the share is lowest for the households that have
children aged 0-5 years only (13 percent) as they receive only the health grant while it is highest for the households that have three or more children aged 6-14 years only
as they receive both the health and education grants (26 percent). However, it is noteworthy that the beneficiary households who receive the least Pantawid Pamilya grants
relative to their income account for the largest share of the total beneficiary households as they are also the poorest—they have the lowest average annual household
income (PhP 45,540). The Pantawid Pamilya transfer size is comparable to those of CCT programs in Latin America, which have been proven to serve as sufficient
incentive for families to comply with program conditionalities. At the same time, the transfer sizes have been sufficiently low to avoid distorting labor market decisions.
In Mexico’s Oportunidades, the transfer size is about 21 percent of total annual household expenditures; in Colombia’s Familias en Acción, it represents about 15 percent
of minimum wage; and in Nicaragua’s Red de Protección Social, it represents about 17 percent of total annual household expenditures.16 Payment of Pantawid Pamilya
grants is terminated if a beneficiary household does not comply with the conditions of the program or no longer meets the eligibility criteria. Cash grants for a particular
period are paid to beneficiary households within the next two months. This procedure allows DSWD to check and verify household compliance with the program
conditionalities during the reporting period before payments are released. If a beneficiary household was found to be non-compliant with the conditionalities in a particular
month, the cash grant will not be paid for that month. However, continued non-compliance will result in termination of payments and suspension from the program.17 16
See IFPRI (2005). Due to lack of data across countries, it is not possible to have a single reference for comparison. Therefore, data are not strictly comparable. 17 The
Operations Manual for Pantawid Pamilya states that the third offense of non-compliance results in termination of the grants and temporary suspension from the program
(DSWD, 2009b). The payment of grants is also terminated if there are changes in the household situation that make the household ineligible for the grants, such as a
change in family composition—for instance, the youngest child in the household has turned 15 years old—or if the household moved to a municipality not covered by
the program. The Pantawid Pamilya grants are paid directly to beneficiary households through their own Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) accounts. The LBP serves
as the disbursing institution of the Pantawid Pamilya. Grants are remitted through the beneficiary households’ LBP accounts and can be withdrawn from automated teller
machines (ATMs) or through over-the-counter transactions. As in most CCT programs, the Pantawid Pamilya gives the responsibility of managing the cash grants to the
mother. Experience in CCT programs shows that women make relatively better use of grant money by using it to purchase food or other necessities such as medicines,
transportation to and from school, and school supplies. If the mother is absent or no longer part of the household, the Pantawid Pamilya allows another member of the
household to be the grantee, in the order of the father, grandparents, aunt/uncle, or guardian, subject to verification, endorsement, and monitoring by the municipal social
worker. Grants were paid quarterly during 2008-2010, but DSWD changed to bi-monthly payments starting the first quarter of 2011. However, since some municipalities
covered by the Pantawid Pamilya do not have LBP branches, not all beneficiary households receive their grants through the bank. The pilot spot check survey conducted
in May 2010 in Northern Samar showed that 98 www.worldbank.org.ph 7 percent of the respondents received Pantawid Pamilya grants.18 However, not all beneficiaries
received the grants directly from the bank. As of October 2010, only around 59 percent of Set 1 and 71 percent of Set 2 active beneficiary households receive payments
through LBP cash cards. Even for municipalities with LBP branches, issuance and distribution of cash cards to beneficiary households have been particularly challenging
due to factors such as mismatch of beneficiaries’ information in LBP and Pantawid Pamilya Management Information System (MIS) databases and documentary
requirements to open accounts. DSWD has been exploring other channels for sending the grants such as Globe Telecom’s GCASH Mobile program, which uses mobile
phones to send and receive money. 3. Management Information System (MIS) A MIS created for the Pantawid Pamilya handles the database and all data processing
requirements of the program. The MIS for the Pantawid Pamilya manages all flows of information at the national, regional, and municipal levels. The MIS as well as all
Pantawid Pamilya processes are guided by the Operations Manual for the Pantawid Pamilya. The MIS uses information and communications technology that handles all
data processing requirements and maintains the database for the Pantawid Pamilya. It has builtin validation and duplicity checker routines, which help correct potential
errors in the system. Essentially, the MIS helps ensure that every beneficiary household met all the eligibility criteria and is receiving the correct amount of cash grant
depending on its current status and compliance with program conditionalities. The MIS is designed to include the following integrated modules: household information,
registration, updates, compliance verification system, payments, and grievance redress system. 3.1. Updates System The Updates System helps ensure that the correct
amount of cash grants is provided to beneficiary households who remain eligible for the grants. Beneficiary households are required to report any changes in household
information such as change in address, change in school or health center where the children go, change in household grantee, and new enrollment of children. Changes in
family composition such as birth, death, departure, or return of legitimate children aged 0-14 years old of the household19 must also be reported. The household grantee
is responsible for reporting the updates, which are verified by Parent Leaders, City or Municipal Links, and regional and national offices of DSWD.20 18 DSWD, in
collaboration with the World Bank and financial support from AusAID, developed a methodology for spot checks for Pantawid Pamilya, which was pilot tested during
February-May 2010 in 33 barangays in Northern Samar. The survey covered 760 households, 57 schools, 16 health facilities and rural health units, and other program
stakeholders. 19 Legitimate children are those who legally belong to the family (biological children or adopted, either of the head or the wife). 20 A Parent Leader is a
point-person between the Pantawid Pamilya, LGU/ Municipal Link, and the household grantees at the barangay level. All updates are encoded in the Updates System by
the MIS unit of the NPMO. With the updated household information, the system determines and verifies the correct amount of cash grants the beneficiary household is
entitled to receive. The updates process involves several verification points to prevent beneficiary households from manipulating information. As changes in household
information may affect the amount of cash grants received, households have the incentive to manipulate information. For example, the death or departure of a legitimate
member of the household or a change in residence to a municipality not covered by the program would reduce or terminate the grants. On the other hand, correcting the
dates of birth of children to satisfy the age criteria would increase the grants. To prevent this type of risk, the Updates System has validation routines and different levels
for checking the veracity of updates. It does not allow an update without supporting documents such as birth certificate or proof of enrollment. The updates are also
presented during monthly assemblies conducted by the Parent Leaders to increase the social oversight of other beneficiaries in the area. The Municipal Links also conduct
another round of reviews before sending them to the DSWD regional offices. 3.2. Compliance Verification System (CVS) The CVS links compliance with conditionalities
to the payments of grants. The CVS serves as a monitoring system for verifying beneficiary household compliance with conditionalities, controlling payments, and
generating managerial reports and progress indicators. The CVS involves the following steps: 1) NPMO generates the Compliance Verification (CV) Forms; 2) RPMO
downloads and prints the CV Forms and disseminates them to cities and municipalities; 3) City/Municipal Links distribute the CV Forms to schools and health centers
(including day care and preschools); 4) schools and health centers record non-compliance with conditionalities during the reported period;21 5) City/Municipal Links
collect the non-compliance data from schools and health centers, encode the data into the CVS program, and forward electronic and hard copies to RPMO; 6) RPMO
reviews the non-compliance data and submits them to NPMO to serve as the basis for payment during that period; and 7) NPMO updates the database prior to the
generation of CV Forms for the next reporting period. 3.3. Grievance Redress System The Grievance Redress System (GRS) captures, resolves, and analyzes grievances
about the program from beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries. This module includes the process of verifying and following up on complaints such as generating forms,
updating and processing information, assigning a tracking number to every complaint as well as the person responsible for solving it, and producing reports of complaint
resolution. The GRS design 21 As mentioned previously, the recording process focuses on non-compliance to reduce the burden of monitoring. 8 PHILIPPINE SOCIAL
PROTECTION NOTE Overview of the Philippines’ Conditional Cash Transfer Program: The Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (Pantawid Pamilya) for Pantawid
Pamilya features a grievance database which tracks the nature, origin, location, and status of complaints such as targeting errors, payment irregularities, fraud, and
corruption. The GRS developed an application that is currently being tested by the regions. The Pantawid Pamilya NPMO has set up complaint reporting mechanisms,
including Text Hotline using the DSWD SMS platform, email, Facebook, Google Site, and Twitter. In the first quarter of 2010, about 13,500 complaints were received,
83 percent of which related to payments. The pilot spot check survey conducted in Northern Samar, however, showed that only 8 percent of respondents to the spot check
survey had complaints about payments. According to the spot check survey, complaints on payments include delayed payments, having to pay for transportation to go to
the banks to receive the grants, or having to pay somebody to collect the payments. 3.4. Payments System The Payment System controls and produces payments for
beneficiaries based on reports of compliance and updated household information. To release the cash grants, the NPMO generates a payroll for a specific area from the
MIS Payment System. The information, including account names, account numbers, and amount of cash grants, is verified by DSWD’s Cash Division. Any discrepancies
are reported back to the MIS for updating of the database. Once the payroll is verified, the NPMO prepares a voucher and sends it to the Project Director and Project
Manager for approval then to the Financial Management Service for processing. Even if the payroll has been verified and approved on the DSWD side, it still needs to be
verified by the LBP. The LBP checks the names and account numbers of the beneficiaries before payments are released. By design, this cycle could take at least one
month. Moreover, the release of cash grants is subject to the beneficiaries’ compliance with program conditionalities. Hence, in addition to the lengthy process, the
processing of payments also depends on the submission of CVS forms from the field. 4. Monitoring and Evaluation Monitoring and evaluation for Pantawid Pamilya is
an integral part of the program and consists of regular supervision, biannual Spot Checks, Quantitative Impact Evaluation, and Qualitative Studies. In addition to regular
supervision conducted by DSWD and the World Bank, biannual Spot Checks are conducted by a third-party firm. Spot Checks apply quantitative and qualitative methods
to assess program implementation by interviewing beneficiary households as well as other actors such as school principals, health providers, and DSWD staff. A
scientifically rigorous impact evaluation applying Randomized Community Trials and Regression Discontinuity is also being conducted by DSWD, with findings of the
first round expected to be available toward the end of 2011. Qualitative studies will then provide more in-depth understanding of how and why the program works. 5.
Supply Side Assessment By design, DSWD needs to undertake a supply side assessment to determine the availability and utilization of education and health services in
the municipalities prior to the implementation of Pantawid Pamilya. This ensures that the program has the required supply side interventions to respond to the increased
demand for such services over time. In the event of a lack or inadequate health and educational facilities, DSWD will enlist the commitment of the local chief executive
through a Memorandum of Agreement, to provide the required services for the Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries. The rapid program expansion however, did not allow for
a more thorough analysis of the availability of local services in the selected municipalities. DSWD has closely collaborated with AusAID for the development of a quick
supply side assessment tool coupled with a program for modeling and projecting demand for these services. DSWD is strengthening its coordination with the Department
of Health, Department of Education, Department of Interior and Local Government and the Department of Budget and Management for ensuring the availability and
enhancing the provision of complementary services. 6. Targeting Outcomes About 90 percent of Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries belong to the bottom 40 percent of the
population. Figure 3 shows the high concentration of Pantawid Pamilya beneficiary households in the lowest income decile. About 52 percent of beneficiaries belong to
the first bottom decile and about 20 percent of Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries belong to the second bottom decile. In total about 72 percent of Pantawid Pamilya
beneficiaries belong to the poorest 20 percent of the population in the Philippines, as obtained from incidence analysis conducted with the most recent Family Income
and Expenditure Survey (FIES, 2009).22 This clearly indicates that most of the resources allotted for the program go to the poorest population. 22 For this analysis,
households in the FIES 2009 were ranked by their per capita household income before the Pantawid Pamilya transfer. The average Pantawid Pamilya transfer in 2009
according to administrative data of the program was about 12,000 PhP/year per household. 15 7. Profile of Pantawid Pamilya Beneficiaries The profile of beneficiary
households indicates that the PMT has been identifying the beneficiary households appropriately. In beneficiary households belonging to the poorest income decile and
residing in urban areas, the household heads and spouses finished Grade 6 or are elementary graduates, on average (Table 6a). Their counterparts in rural areas have lower
educational attainment (one year less on average) in comparison (Table 6b). Parents in households in the higher income deciles tend to have higher education levels, the
highest being high school graduate. Beneficiary households also have large family sizes, ranging from five to seven household members, with those in the poorest income
deciles having the largest families. Most households have more school-aged children who are 6-14 years old than children aged 0- 5 years. The profile of beneficiary
households coincides with that of the poorest households in the FIES, indicating that the PMT formula has captured the characteristics of the poor. Table 6a. Social
Indicators of Urban Poor Pantawid Pamilya Beneficiary Households, by Income Deciles Per Capita Average Age Average Education Levels* Ave. No. of Children
Household #&" &!" %&" J" #" &" &" %" !" !" !" %!" &!" K!" L!" #!" J!" M359>" G/23;/" ?/2,0<" G/23;/" N:35<" G/23;/" M,85>:" G/23;/" M3O:" G/23;/" ?3P>:"
G/23;/" ?/Q/0>:" G/23;/" R3=:>" G/23;/" +30>:" G/23;/" N/0>:" G/23;/" ?:45/",-"LE9"C/0/123453/9" Figure 3. Distribution of Pantawid Pamilya Beneficiary Households
by Per Capita Income Deciles, Net of Pantawid Pamilya Transfer Source: Author’s calculations with the FIES (2009) data which included a few variables to identify
participants in Pantawid Pamilya. www.worldbank.org.ph 9 Table 6a. Social Indicators of Urban Poor Pantawid Pamilya Beneficiary Households, by Income Deciles Per
Capita Income Deciles1 Average Age Average Education Levels* Ave. No. of Children Household Size HH Head Wife Children HH Head Wife Children Aged 0-5
Years Aged 6-14 Years 1 43 39 11 7 7 4 1.4 2.5 7 2 42 39 11 8 8 4 1.3 1.9 6 3 42 38 11 9 9 4 1.2 1.8 5 4 41 37 10 10 10 4 1.2 1.6 5 5 43 40 15 11 9 7 … 1.8 5 6 to 10 …
… … … … … … … Per Capita Income Deciles1 Average Age Average Education Levels* Ave. No. of Children Household Size HH Head Wife Children HH Head
Wife Children Aged 0-5 Years Aged 6-14 Years 1 43 39 11 6 6 4 1.4 2.4 6 2 42 38 11 7 8 4 1.2 1.8 5 3 42 38 11 8 8 4 1.2 1.7 5 4 43 38 11 9 9 4 1.2 1.7 5 5 to 10 … …
… … … … … … … Table 6b. Social Indicators of Rural Poor Pantawid Pamilya Beneficiary Households, by Income Deciles Source: Pantawid Pamilya database as of
January 2011. Notes: … means no entries. * Education Levels: 0 – no grade completed; 1 – Kinder or day care; 2 – Grade 1; 3 – Grade 2; 4 – Grade 3; 5 – Grade 4; 6 –
Grade 5; 7 Grade 6 or elementary graduate; 8 – 1st Year High School; 9 – 2nd Year High School; 10 – 3rd Year High School; 11 – High School Graduate. 1 Households
are ranked by estimated per capita income using the PMT. 7. Profile of Pantawid Pamilya Beneficiaries The profile of beneficiary households indicates that the PMT has
been identifying the beneficiary households appropriately. In beneficiary households belonging to the poorest income decile and residing in urban areas, the household
heads and spouses finished Grade 6 or are elementary graduates, on average (Table 6a). Their counterparts in rural areas have lower educational attainment (one year less
on average) in comparison (Table 6b). Parents in households in the higher income deciles tend to have higher education levels, the highest being high school graduate.
Beneficiary households also have large family sizes, ranging from five to seven household members, with those in the poorest income deciles having the largest families.
Most households have more school-aged children who are 6-14 years old than children aged 0-5 years. The profile of beneficiary households coincides with that of the
poorest households in the FIES, indicating that the PMT formula has captured the characteristics of the poor. 8. Take-Up Rates In the first phase of expansion, about 90
percent of eligible poor households in the selected municipalities became active Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries, but this figure declined as Pantawid Pamilya expanded.
During the first and second phases of expansion, the Pantawid Pamilya aimed to enroll almost all eligible poor households in the selected municipalities. For the third
phase, each selected municipality was given a quota for the number of households that could be enrolled in the program. This difference resulted in varying take-up
rates—meaning the proportion of active beneficiary households relative to all eligible poor households in a given municipality—across Sets. The average take-up rate for
Set 1 was 87 percent, compared to 75 percent for Set 2, which can be attributed to factors such as implementation pressures (tight deadlines), low institutional capacity at
the municipal level where the enrollment process happens, and lack of information dissemination to potential households about the enrollment process. The take-up rate
for Set 3 was low at only 35 percent. Figure 4a shows take-up rates for all municipalities 10 PHILIPPINE SOCIAL PROTECTION NOTE Overview of the Philippines’
Conditional Cash Transfer Program: The Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (Pantawid Pamilya) Figure 4. Poverty Incidence and Take-up Rates of Pantawid Pamilya
Beneficiary Households, by Sets Source: Authors’ calculations using Pantawid Pamilya database as of January 2011. 17 (a) Total (b) Set 1 (c) Set 2 (d) Set 3 covered by
the program and the corresponding poverty incidence at the municipal level, while Figures 4b to 4d show those for each Set. Take-up rates were higher in municipalities
with higher poverty incidence, particularly for Sets 1 and 2. Take up rates are expected to increase as program expansion proposed to increase coverage of Set 3
municipalities by end of 2010 and early 2011. www.worldbank.org.ph 11 9. Poverty Impact of Pantawid Pamilya: Preliminary Estimates23 Ex ante simulation analysis
shows that the Pantawid Pamilya can reduce poverty in the targeted areas significantly.24 Based on Pantawid Pamilya data, it is estimated that 62 percent of the population
in municipalities covered in the first and second phases of program expansion live below the poverty line. The cash transfer to beneficiary households, which increases
their household income, is estimated to reduce poverty incidence in these areas by as much as 2.6 percentage points. Potential impacts of Pantawid Pamilya on the income
gap of the poor and on the severity of poverty in targeted areas also appear to be substantial.25 In particular, simulations using the Pantawid Pamilya data show that the
cash transfer could reduce the income gap of Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries by 5.3 percentage points and poverty severity by about 4.3 percentage points. The average
increase in per capita income among Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries is 12 percent. Although based on predicted income figures, these estimates are consistent with the
results of impact evaluations of comparable CCT programs in other countries. Poverty was reduced by 17 percent in Progresa communities in Mexico, while the Familias
en Acción program in Colombia reduced the poverty gap by more than 6 percentage points.26 10. Implementation Challenges Like most CCT programs, the Pantawid
Pamilya has faced several challenges, particularly in the early stages of implementation. Inherent in CCT programs are the implementation challenges associated with the
administratively complex nature of the program. The rapid expansion of the Pantawid Pamilya in a short period of time exacerbated the implementation challenges. For
example, DSWD needed to survey at least double the targeted number of beneficiary households, as it was estimated that almost half of the surveyed households would
be identified as poor and would be eligible for the program. Because of this, DSWD faced several challenges mostly related to the limited resources available for the
program, such as the number of personnel, physical equipment 23 A more detailed analysis of poverty impact of the Pantawid Pamilya will be discussed in the Philippines
Social Protection Note No. 3 (forthcoming). 24 World Bank estimates based on analysis of Set 1 and Set 2 beneficiary households, where NHTS surveyed at least 80
percent of the total households. Household cash transfers (health and education grants) were computed according to the actual demographic composition of beneficiary
households and per capita income predicted using the PMT. The transfer was adjusted by the latest compliance rate for education (77 percent) and health (70 percent)
based on the Compliance Verification System (CVS) - Management Information System (MIS) - Pantawid Pamilya Database for the first quarter of 2011. 25 Poverty
incidence refers to the share of the poor population to the total population. Poverty gap measures the average income shortfall of the poor expressed as a share of the
poverty line. Poverty severity is the squared income shortfall of the poor expressed as a share of the poverty line. Compared to the poverty gap, poverty severity is more
sensitive to the income distribution of the poor so that a higher value of the poverty severity reflects a worse distribution of income . 26 See Hoddinott and Skoufias
(2004) and Institute for Fiscal Studies, Econometrica and SEI (2006) for Mexico and Colombia, respectively. (computers and IT systems), and financial resources
necessary for program operation. Moreover, the Pantawid Pamilya was scaled up when the systems were still under development. DSWD has worked closely with
technical experts on CCT programs from the World Bank and AusAID to mitigate the implementation risks.27 The rigid institutional structure and weak procurement
system have constrained the expansion of human and capital support for the Pantawid Pamilya. Despite the urgency to expand the Pantawid Pamilya, DSWD’s institutional
structure has not allowed for an increase in staff to work on the Pantawid Pamilya. Although it created the NPMO, the unit made use of existing personnel. By the end of
2010, staffing at the NPMO was 69 percent of what it should have been based on the number of approved positions.28 Of the 109 approved positions, only 75 positions
were filled. Likewise, the level of staffing at RPMO was 74 percent of the approved positions.29 Limited manpower in the field was also evident as one Municipal Link,
which was supposed to handle 1,000 beneficiary households, actually handled as many as 3,000 beneficiary households. Moreover, the weak procurement system in
DSWD caused delays in some key implementation processes. The Pantawid Pamilya requires IT systems that can handle the massive data collection and management,
but IT constraints at the regional level pose a major bottleneck, delaying the processing of payments. Rapid expansion has also posed challenges to supply-side readiness
in areas where Pantawid Pamilya is implemented. A supply-side assessment is conducted for the areas selected by geographic targeting, which involves meeting with the
local government unit and conduct of surveys to assess the availability of health and education services in the area. In the municipalities or barangays where the supply-
side facilities have been assessed as adequate, DSWD’s regional offices facilitate activities leading up to implementation of the Pantawid Pamilya. However, given the
pressure to expand the program—particularly to areas with a high concentration of poor—some municipalities with inadequate education and health facilities have also
been included in the program. The lack of health facilities and schools in these areas has major implication for beneficiary compliance with conditionalities, thus potentially
limiting program impact. Both the AusAID CCT Quick Supply Side Assessment and World Bank pilot spot check surveys, for example, found a poor state of day care
centers, school infrastructure and an inadequate number of teachers in schools attended by children of beneficiary households.30 27 Apart from the AusAID-funded
World Bank TA, AusAID has embedded an international CCT Expert in DSWD to help it manage and consolidate the program’s rapid scale up, providing strategic
guidance at key junctures of the program’s rapid expansion and implementation. 28 AusAID TA has helped DSWD developed an organisational structure for the PMO
with clear resource requirements and delineation of roles and responsibilities among units. 29 One of the reasons to low staffing is the lengthy procedure to hire employees
in government. 30 The spot check survey found a teacher-student ratio of 1:41 in elementary schools, compared to the national average of 1:36, and one-fifth of the
schools employed multi-shifts, indicating lack of classroom infrastructure and/or teachers. 12 PHILIPPINE SOCIAL PROTECTION NOTE Overview of the Philippines’
Conditional Cash Transfer Program: The Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (Pantawid Pamilya) 11. Conclusion Despite the early challenges, the government
successfully rolled out the Pantawid Pamilya to reach the poorest households in the Philippines. To date, the Pantawid Pamilya is the largest social protection program in
the Philippines and has been able to achieve the widest coverage of the poor. The concerted efforts and commitment of DSWD and its partner institutions in implementing
the pilot program and establishing the household targeting system were critical to program expansion. The pilot program imparted several lessons that were essential in
improving the core design of the Pantawid Pamilya and in preparing the systems for rapid scaleup. Although the expansion brought several challenges for DSWD, the
agency managed to get the program running and has continually improved the systems necessary for program operation. The PMT-based targeting system combined with
geographic targeting has helped minimize the inclusion and exclusion errors,31 thereby enhancing program impact. The combined approach of a standardized targeting
mechanism to select potential beneficiaries for the program and a registration process to validate the information gathered have been key to the credibility and acceptance
of the program. This process was complemented by the GRS, which allows people to present complaints about inclusion errors, exclusion errors, and program operations
and which has clear guidelines for complaint resolution. The targeting system based on PMT has produced good targeting outcomes. About 90 percent of Pantawid
Pamilya beneficiaries belong to the bottom 40 percent of the population. This outcome has been achieved by combining geographic targeting based on poverty maps with
a rigorous and standardized household assessment, including validation of poor households with local communities. Nearly three years since its launch, the Pantawid
Pamilya has already shown positive impacts on beneficiary households. The cash grants increase the household incomes of the poor, while the conditionalities have helped
improve the education and health of their children. Anecdotal evidence shows that net education enrollment rates of children in beneficiary households have risen, and
the number of children who undertake de-worming at schools and avail of vaccines from health centers has also increased. In addition, field reports indicate that beneficiary
households benefit from the seminars and development sessions in their communities.32 Other social protection programs in the Philippines can learn from the best
practice methods developed in the Pantawid Pamilya. A considerable amount of resources has been invested in setting up the 31 Error of inclusion occurs when unintended
individuals or households get to the roster of beneficiaries. On the other hand, error of exclusion occurs when deserving individuals or households are missed out, not
permitted or not able to participate in the program. 32 An impact evaluation of Pantawid Pamilya will be conducted in 2011. Pantawid Pamilya, in terms of financial
resources as well as efforts to build technical and program implementation capacity within DSWD and its regional and local counterparts. Thanks to these efforts, the
government has a pioneer social protection program that takes into account international best practice and methods. The Pantawid Pamilya is the only social protection
program in the Philippines in which control and accountability mechanisms are embedded in the core program design. Other government agencies implementing social
protection programs can take advantage of the investments made by DSWD in creating the Pantawid Pamilya and in improving the targeting and delivery systems of the
program. References Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (2011), Peso per US dollar rate, website: http://www.bsp.gov.ph/statistics/spei_new/tab25.htm Castaneda, T. (2007),
“The Conditional Cash Transfer Program of the Philippines”, draft. Department of Budget and Management (2011), General Appropriations Act, website:
http://www.dbm.gov.ph Department of Social Welfare and Development (2009a), Operations Manual for the National Household Targeting for Poverty Reduction.
Department of Social Welfare and Development (2009b), Operations Manual for the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program. Department of Social Welfare and
Development (2011a), National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction, website: http:// nhts.dswd.gov.ph/ Department of Social Welfare and Development
(2011b), Pantawid Pamilya, website: http://pantawid.dswd.gov.ph/ Fernandez, L. (2009), “Targeting Mechanism Used to Select Beneficiaries for the Pantawid Pamilyang
Pilipino Program,” Social Welfare and Development Journal, 3(1): 11-16. Fiszbein, A., Schady, N., Ferreira, F., Grosh, M., Kelleher, N., Olinto, P. and Skoufias, E.
(2009), Conditional Cash Transfers: Reducing Present and Future Poverty, World Bank, Washington, DC. Hoddinott and Skoufias (2004) “The impact of Progresa on
Food Consumption,” Economic Development and Cultural Change, 53(1):37-61 Institute for Fiscal Studies, Econometrica and SEI, (2006) “Evaluación del Impacto del
Programa Familias en Acción – Subsidios Condicionado de la Rede de Apayo Social” Bogota: Departamento Nacional de Planeación. International Food Policy Research
Institute, IFPRI (2005). Impact Evaluation of a Conditional Cash Transfer Program. The Nicaraguan Red de Proteccion Social. Maluccio, J. and Flores, R. Research report
141. Washington, D.C. National Statistical Coordination Board (2011a), “Philippine Poverty Statistics”, website: http://www.nscb.gov.ph/poverty/2009/table_1. asp
National Statistical Coordination Board (2011b), MDG Watch: Statistics at a glance of the Philippines’ Progress based on the MDG indicators, available:
http://www.nscb.gov.ph/stats/mdg/mdg_watch.asp Stephens, M. (2009), “Governance and Anti-Corruption in the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program,” Social Welfare
and Development Journal, 3(1): 27-34 World Bank (2010), “Philippines: Fostering More Inclusive Growth”, available: http://go.worldbank.org/2FY5ZEWCV0

Volume-2, Issue-8, December-2018: 1-19 International Journal of Recent Innovations in Academic Research ISSN: 2635-3040 www.ijriar.com 1 Financial Priorities of
4p’s Beneficiaries: An Assessment Using First Bucket Theory Arnold Q. Malaluan, *Gleziel M. Malaluan, Regine T. Leyesa, Kathleen H. Malayba and Marissa H. Perez
Batangas State University Lipa City Campus, Brgy. Marawoy, Lipa City, Philippines Email address: arnoldmalaluan21@gmail.com; aqmalaluan@batstate-u.edu.ph
Abstract: Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4P‟-s) is the version of conditional cash transfer program in the Philippines. The program‟s initial focus is on the
conditions that the 4P‟s household beneficiaries need to comply in able to sustain the assistance. This study was conducted to assess the Financial Priorities of 4P‟s
Beneficiaries in Lipa City, Philippines using First Bucket Theory. Specifically, it determined the profile of the business in terms of terms of Age, Civil Status, Number of
Dependents, Family Monthly Income and Source of Income which were described in terms of food, shelter, clothing and transportation. Descriptive type of research was
utilized in the study by conducting a survey to 382 beneficiaries in Lipa City .The researchers used frequency/percentage, weighted mean and comparison of mean to
analyze the data. The results revealed that majority of the respondents belonged to the age group of 35–55, married, having four dependents, earning a monthly income
of below Php 7890.00 and have a source of income from employment. The respondents highly prioritized their food, transportation, shelter and clothing respectively.
Furthermore, the findings imply that the assistance of the beneficiaries is merely enough to sustain their needs in daily life. Keywords: financial priorities, first bucket
theory, income, Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4P‟-s). Citation: Arnold Q. Malaluan, Gleziel M. Malaluan, Regine T. Leyesa, Kathleen H. Malayba and Marissa
H. Perez. 2018. Financial Priorities of 4p‟s Beneficiaries: An Assessment Using First Bucket Theory. International Journal of Recent Innovations in Academic Research,
2(8): 1-19. Copyright: Arnold Q. Malaluan, Gleziel M. Malaluan, Regine T. Leyesa, Kathleen H. Malayba and Marissa H. Perez., Copyright©2018. This is an open-
access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium,
provided the original author and source are credited. Introduction Conditional cash transfer (CCT) is a social assistance to poor families by giving them cash grants to
lighten their immediate needs. The primary goal of it is to “break the intergenerational cycle of poverty by fostering change in behavior among parents to invest in their
children‟s (and their own) future (health, nutrition, education) because schooling and high malnutrition rate are strongly associated with poverty cycle. The CCT Program
particularly aims to improve the preventive health care of pregnant women and young children; increase enrolment/attendance of children at elementary level; reduce
incidence of child labor; raise consumption of poor household on nutrient dense foods; encourage parents to invests in their children‟s (and their own) future; and
encourage parents‟ participation in Volume-2, Issue-8, December-2018: 1-19 International Journal of Recent Innovations in Academic Research ISSN: 2635-3040
www.ijriar.com 2 the growth and development of young children as well as the involvement in the community (Sealza, 2013). In addition the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino
Program (4Ps) is the version of conditional cash transfer program here in the Philippines. The program‟s initial focus is on the conditions that the 4Ps household
beneficiaries need to comply in able to sustain the assistance. The 4Ps is a social program that entails monetary and non-monetary transfers to the poor or poorest families
who have school-aged children on the condition that they meet the program‟s terms that aimed at improving their capacities (Cecchini and Madariaga 2011). Brazil and
Mexico were the first countries that implemented the 4Ps program. Moreover, based on the Department of Social Welfare and Development Studies (DSWD) primer, the
4Ps is a poverty reduction and social development strategy of the national government. It provides cash transfers to extremely poor households to improve their health,
nutrition and education. The program specifically targeted the poor families with children aged 0-14. The two-main objectives of the program are social assistance and
social development. The topic was needed to be studied in order to know where the budget of the government goes and how the beneficiaries spend the financial assistance.
More so, if the DSWD employees would be able to read this study they could improve the program. Also to know if the program are properly implemented and if they
are following the requirements and policies. For the beneficiaries, they would know how to budget and use the financial assistance wisely. In addition Bucket Theory has
five buckets, first bucket represents the basic needs, second bucket represents financial security and savings plan, third bucket represents insurance needs like life, health
and property protection, fourth bucket represents quality of life and fifth bucket represents the sources a family has. The researchers used the first bucket theory because
it pertains to basic needs which are food, shelter, clothing and transportation. It was suitable to the study since the researchers have a goal in assessing the financial
priorities of the beneficiaries in terms of their basic needs. Basic needs are the general priority of a certain family. This study aims to assess the financial priorities of 4P‟s
Beneficiaries in Lipa City, Batangas. Specifically, it attempted to sought to answer the following objectives: first, to determine the profile of the respondents in terms of
age, civil status, number of dependents; family monthly income, and sources of income; second, to assessed financial priorities of 4Ps beneficiaries using the first bucket
theory in terms of food, shelter, clothing, and transportation; third, to assess the financial priorities of 4P‟s Beneficiaries be compared when grouped according to profile;
lastly, to proposed extension program highlighting financial literacy may be proposed to the 4Ps beneficiaries. Materials and Methods Research Methodology This part
discusses the methodology linked in the study. It includes research design, research settings, sampling design, data collection and analysis and ethical considerations.
These are the methods that the researcher used in order to come up with a good result and recommend an output to lessen the problems incurred by the respondents.
Volume-2, Issue-8, December-2018: 1-19 International Journal of Recent Innovations in Academic Research ISSN: 2635-3040 www.ijriar.com 3 Research Design The
study used the descriptive research in order to assess the financial priorities of 4P‟s Beneficiaries in Lipa City, Batangas. Descriptive research is fact-finding with adequate
interpretation. It is used to describe characteristics of a population or phenomenon being studied. The descriptive method is something more and beyond just data gathering;
the latter is not reflective thinking or research. The true meaning of the data collected should be reported from the point of view of the objectives and the basic assumption
(Aquino, 2014). With the use of descriptive research in the study, the researchers believed that it served as a useful tool which gave factual information and systematic
description for the better understanding and easy interpretation of data. Respondents of the Study The grantees of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program were the
subjects of the study. There were 8109 beneficiaries from 70 barangays on all clusters in Lipa City. A survey questionnaire was given to the household respondents to
ensure the reliability of the information that will be gathered. The age, civil status, number of dependents, family monthly income and source of income as well as the
priorities in terms of food, shelter, clothing and transportation were the factors included in the questionnaire to determine the financial priorities of the household
respondents. Sampling Design In order to select the respondents from the population, the researcher used the non-probability sampling, specifically the stratified random
sampling. This type of design divides first the population into two or more strata (Thompson, 2012). The respondents divided the population into five clusters which are
the North, East, South, West and Center. Moreover the convenience / incidental sampling was used by the researchers for the distribution of the questionnaire. They
picked out their respondents in the most convenient and fastest way. As affirmed by Subong, (2005), it is the process of getting the subject of the study that is only
available during the period. Data Collection The researchers developed a questionnaire which served as the major data gathering instrument in the study. The researchers
consulted different libraries to be able to gather more data which will serve as the basis of the study. The researchers used a self-constructed questionnaire. The
questionnaire contained sets of questions prepared to answer the problem as stated in the present study. It has two-parts. The first part was about the respondent‟s
demographic profile like age, civil status, and number of dependents, family monthly income and sources of income while the second part described the financial priorities
of 4P‟s beneficiaries. In validating the questionnaire, the researchers asked the adviser, panel members and panel chairman for the guidance and checking of the questions.
After the suggestions and corrections, the researchers edited and revised the questions. The chairman, panel members as well as the adviser approved it and said that it
was ready for dry run. Before executing the dry run, the researchers approached the grammarian. The researchers have gone to Tanauan City for the dry run and conducted
house to house interview with the number of 30 respondents. After finishing it, the researchers sent the result to the statistician. The result of the reliability of dry-run was
0.724 which was reliable according to Cronbach‟s Alpha but there were questions that must be improved. The researchers conducted the actual survey in barangays of
five clusters in Lipa City (East, West, South, North and Center). The Volume-2, Issue-8, December-2018: 1-19 International Journal of Recent Innovations in Academic
Research ISSN: 2635-3040 www.ijriar.com 4 questionnaires were given personally to the respondents and same were through house to house. The data were retrieved
three weeks after because the study is limited only to 4P‟s beneficiaries. The data were tabulated and interpreted using appropriate statistical tools. To measure the
assessment of the Financial Priorities of 4P‟s Beneficiaries, the questions were in the form of Likert–type using four point scale–four (4) as the highest and one (1) as the
lowest. In terms of the assessment of the Financial Priorities of 4P‟s Beneficiaries, it was assigned with the following values: 4–strongly agree/ highly priorities, 3-
agree/prioritized, 2–diagree /slightly prioritized and 1–Strongly disagree/ not prioritized. The researcher assured that the characteristics of a good questionnaire were
attained. Data Analysis To arrive at a more efficient and reliable data, various statistical techniques were employed. The questionnaire is designed for statistical analysis
of the respondents. Frequency/Percentage: It is used to describe the profile of the respondents in terms of age, civil status, and number of dependents, family monthly
income and sources of income. Weighted Mean: It is used to determine the assessment of the respondents on financial priorities of 4P‟s beneficiaries. Comparison of
Means: It is used to compare the assessment of the respondents on financial priorities of 4Ps beneficiaries when grouped according to age, civil status, number of
dependents, monthly family income and source of income. Results and Discussions 1. Profile of the Respondents The researchers described the profile of the respondents
in terms of age, civil status, and number of dependents, family monthly income, and sources of income. These were the variables that the researchers chose because they
may closely influence the 4P‟s beneficiary. Age: The researchers analyzed that most of the members of the 4P‟s beneficiary who were respondents were in 36-55 age
bracket because in the age bracket of 36-55, most of them was tough to be hired in work. The findings indicated the age bracket of respondents in which 59.9 percent are
most frequent. Moreover some of them decide to resign to put up a business or they want to relax and take a break. Further, it could be inferred that this age have greater
ability to apply, get and process requirements. Civil status: Most of the respondents were married with 313 or 82 percent. It was then followed by single with 40 or 11
percent. Third was widowed with 24 or 6 percent. And last is the separated with respondents of 5 or 1 percent in the separated. The researchers analyzed that most of the
members of the 4P‟s beneficiaries who were respondents were married. Probably because the program was designed for children‟s need in terms of school. Furthermore,
because of their status, there is a possibility to have more children. It only means that the married respondents comprised bigger portion than single, widowed and
separated. It also shows that married respondents are dominant or most of them are the beneficiaries of 4P‟s. Number of Dependents: Most of the respondents have 4
number of dependents with a frequency of 122 or 32 percent. It was then followed by 3 number of dependents with a frequency of 75 or 19 percent. Third was 5 number
of dependents with a frequency 54 or 14 Volume-2, Issue-8, December-2018: 1-19 International Journal of Recent Innovations in Academic Research ISSN: 2635-3040
www.ijriar.com 5 percent. Fourth was 2 and 6 number of dependents with a frequency of 44 and which also has the same percentage of 12 percent. And last, with the
respondents having 6 number of dependents with a frequency 43 or 11 percent. Family Monthly Income: Most of the respondents who earn below Php 7,890 comprise a
frequency of 193 or 51 percent. This is followed by those respondents who earn between Php 7,891 and Php 15,780 who have a frequency of 188 or 49 percent. And only
0.3 percent of the respondents or 1 out of 382 respondents receive their monthly salary that ranges from Php 15,780 and up. Based on the above table, it was observed
that out of 382 respondents, 47.4 percent are employed. On the other hand, 26.7 percent are on business, while 1.8 percent is from remittances and 24.1 percent is from
other extra work or not full time employee. Source of income: It is clearly presented that most respondents whose income came from employment has a frequency of 181
or 47 percent. This was followed by whose income came from business that have a frequency of 102 or 27 percent. Third was whose income came from others aside from
business, employment and remittances got a frequency of 92 or 24 percent. And lastly, those whose income came from remittances has a frequency of 7 or 2 percent. It
can be deduced from the findings that majority of the respondents were getting their income from employment. This probably due to the fact that families are not heavily
relying on the assistance as their source of income. To improve their financial independence, families are still finding ways on how they would finance their needs and
one of which is employment. This was in contrast with the findings of Urquizo (2012) that as for the secondary income of the rural residents, the heads of the households
performed other activities to finance their needs aside from their original employment. 2. Assessment of 4P’s beneficiaries on their Financial Priorities using the First
Bucket Theory This portion of the study deals with the financial priorities of 4P‟s beneficiaries in terms of their food, shelter, clothing, and transportation. Moreover,
each respondents was assessed based on his/her basic needs. Food This refers to any substance that people eat and drink to maintain life and growth. Moreover, it is
material consisting essentially of protein, carbohydrate, and fat used in the body of an organism to sustain growth, repair, and vital processes and to furnish energy; also:
such food together with supplementary substances (such as minerals, vitamins, and condiments). Table 2.1. Financial Priorities of Respondents According to Food Food
Weighted Mean Verbal Interpretation 1.I prioritize buying viand that is inexpensive, clean and fresh. 4.00 Highly Prioritized/Strongly Agree 2. I buy my children‟s snack
in school like breads, drinks, etc. 2.92 Prioritized/Agree 3. I used to buy and store foods like noodles and canned goods. 2.32 Slightly Prioritized/ Disagree 4. I allocate
budget for our daily meals. 3.51 Highly Prioritized/ Strongly Agree 5. I prefer to buy food in public market than in 3.93 Highly Prioritized/ Volume-2, Issue-8, December-
2018: 1-19 International Journal of Recent Innovations in Academic Research ISSN: 2635-3040 www.ijriar.com 6 mall. Strongly Agree 6. I prefer to buy food in
supermarket 1.15 Not a Priority/Strongly Disagree 7. I save for special occasions like birthday, fiesta, Christmas etc. 2.27 Slightly Prioritized/Disagree 8. During special
occasions, I prefer to shop in public market than in mall 3.87 Highly Prioritized/Strongly Agree 9. During special occasion, I used to prepare food at home than to eat in
fast food chains. 3.53 Highly Prioritized/Strongly Agree Composite Mean 3.06 Prioritized It can be gleaned from the table that the household respondents strongly agree
in buying viand that is inexpensive, clean and fresh when they receive the money with the highest mean of 4.00 since food is the most important needs. It reflects that
what they really prioritize is the viand that is cheap for them. In addition, the respondents assessed that they strongly agree to prefer to buy food in public market than in
mall with the second highest weighted mean of 3.93, because of the low-priced goods at public market than in mall. Even with a small amount of their budget for food,
they can buy more. Since their income and the assistance coming from the program is not enough to buy foods in the mall. Similarly, the respondents strongly agree
during special occasions they prefer to shop in public market than in mall, which got a weighted mean of 3.87, Respondents prefer the marketplace because it is much
cheaper and it fits to their budget. The household respondents assessed that they strongly agree to prepare food during special occasion at home than to eat in fast food
chains, which got a weighted mean of 3.53 for the reason that they prefer to buy at a cheap price. Moreover if they prepare in the house they could eat more. Also they
cannot afford to eat in fast food chains if there is an occasion. The respondents allocate budget for their daily meals. They strongly agree to allocate budget for their daily
meals with a weighted mean of 3.51 because it is important in order to survive in day to day living. The respondents assessed that when they received the money, they
disagree when buying their children‟s snack in school like breads, drinks etc. with the weighted mean of 2.92. Because the program was designed for children‟s need in
terms of school, also some children buy their own food at school. They used to buy and store foods like noodles and canned goods. This obtained the third lowest weighted
mean of 2.32. The lower weighted mean probably suggests that the respondents have low income, the financial assistance they received was used for their day to day
expenses. Hence, they cannot afford to store those foods. More so, the respondents assessed that when they received the money, they save for special occasions like
birthday, fiesta, Christmas etc. This garnered a second lowest weighted mean of 2.27. It can be deduced that the respondents probably think that there is no need for them
to always prepare during special occasions, also if they are going to prepare foods just a little amount and fits their money. They further said that the money they are
receiving is not that big to suffice all the needs of their families. Lastly, the respondents prefer to buy food in supermarket which got the lowest mean of 1.15. It can be
inferred that the respondents no longer buy foods in the supermarket as indicated by Volume-2, Issue-8, December-2018: 1-19 International Journal of Recent Innovations
in Academic Research ISSN: 2635-3040 www.ijriar.com 7 the lowest weighted mean or for them, it is not a priority because of the expensive stuff. In fact they always
said that the financial they are receiving is not that sufficient for their daily needs. Generally, the assessment of the respondents on their financial behavior in terms of
foods was prioritized having a composite mean of 3.06. Based on the finding, this shows that the respondents mostly prioritized their food and buy it according to their
money. According to Arago (2015), families were able to plan and buy meals that could meet daily needs of family. The study also showed that the families were not able
to afford treating their family to eat in the fast food chains and restaurants. Families were not able to give their children with technology gadgets that could be used for
their study. Also Guico et al., (2007) assessed that respondents spent most on food and did not allocate most of the money in recreation, house equipment, house
maintenance and minor repairs. In addition Aiya (2007) said that the minimum requirements of a community for a decent standard of life: adequate food, shelter, and
clothing plus some household equipment and furniture. They also include essential services provided by and for the community-at-large such as safe drinking water,
sanitation, health and education facilities, protection against human rights violations and gainful employment. 2.2 Shelter Shelter is one of the basic human needs along
with food, water, and companionship. It is a structure that protects people from the elements and gives them a place to live. This is a structure that provides privacy and
protection from danger. The dwelling place or home considered as a refuge from the elements. It provides people with a place to stay or live, especially when they need
protection from bad weather or danger. It implies the protection of something that covers, as a roof or other structure that shields one from the elements or danger. Table
2.2. Financial Priorities According to Shelter Shelter Weighted Mean Verbal Interpretation 1.I save to build our own house. 2.13 Slightly Prioritized/Disagree 2. I allocate
money to repair or renovate our house. 2.54 Prioritized/Agree 3. I prefer to stay on my parents‟ house though I already have my own family 1.19 Not a Priority/Strongly
Disagree 4. I prefer to buy home appliances in public market than in malls 3.82 Highly Prioritized/Strongly Agree 5. When buying home appliances, I prefer to pay the
price in full than in instalment basis 3.75 Highly Prioritized/Strongly Agree Composite Mean 2.69 Prioritized As presented on the table, the statement I prefer to buy
home appliances in public markets than in malls got the highest weighted mean of 3.82 and verbal interpretation of highly prioritized/strongly agree. This may imply that
the respondents chose to buy in public Volume-2, Issue-8, December-2018: 1-19 International Journal of Recent Innovations in Academic Research ISSN: 2635-3040
www.ijriar.com 8 markets because of inexpensive goods. And also their money is enough to buy goods in the market rather than in malls. On the other hand, the statement
when buying home appliances, I prefer to pay the price in full than in installment basis ranked number two as it has the weighted mean of 3.75 which is equivalent to a
verbal interpretation of highly prioritized/strongly agree. This indicates that the respondents prefer buying at full price because they do not want to think how to pay daily
or monthly of the things they have bought. In addition to they think that it is easy to pay in full price than in installment basis. But the respondents also said that if there
is also enough money they engage in buying in full price but then again if there is not enough money they go on an installment basis. This implicates that some of the
respondents already have their own house. Also the respondents do not really have money in order to build their own houses, the respondents prioritized the mostly needed
ones. According to Eballa et al., (2014), most of the respondents were worried handling their personal finances. Sometimes they acquired debt more than they can handle,
worried about unexpected expenses and limited source of income. Sometimes household acquired debt more than what they can handle and sometimes the payment for
the borrowed money was used in the other expenses. Household spending was per person breakdown of general living expense. It included amount paid for lodging food
consumed with the home, utilities paid other expenses. 2.3 Clothing The fiber and textile material worn on the body. The wearing of clothing is mostly restricted to human
beings and is a feature of nearly all human societies. The amount and type of clothing worn depend on body type, social, and geographic considerations. Some clothing
can be gender-specific. One of the basic necessities like food and clothing. Something that covers pertains to clothes or wearing apparel. Table 2.3. Financial Priorities of
Respondents According to Clothing Clothing Weighted Mean Verbal Interpretation 1. I allocate budget for my children‟s uniform. 3.87 Highly Prioritized/Strongly Agree
2. I buy clothes for special occasions like birthday, Christmas etc. 2.59 Prioritized/Agree 3. When my child needs uniform in school such as P.E, organizational shirt etc.,
I used to buy it first. 3.19 Prioritized/Agree 4. I buy my child costumes during school programs 2.58 Prioritized/Agree 5. I prefer to buy clothes in public market during
special occasions like birthday, Christmas, etc. 3.84 Highly Prioritized/Strongly Agree 6. I prefer to buy clothes in malls during special occasions like birthday, Christmas,
etc. 1.24 Not a Priority/Disagree 7. I used to buy branded clothes or shoes 1.88 Slightly Prioritized/Strongly Volume-2, Issue-8, December-2018: 1-19 International
Journal of Recent Innovations in Academic Research ISSN: 2635-3040 www.ijriar.com 9 Disagree 8. I used to buy second hand clothing rather than new ones. 1.95
Slightly Prioritized/Strongly Disagree Composite Mean 2.64 Prioritized The respondents strongly agree in allocating their budget for their children‟s uniform with the
highest weighted average of 3.87. The program was designed to the children‟s in terms of study. The uniform of the children is one of the requirements at the school.
Furthermore the respondents strongly agree when they prefer to buy clothes in public market during special occasions like birthday, Christmas, etc, with the second
highest weighted average of 3.84. It is because it is cheaper to buy in the market and some of the qualities are the same. The respondents assessed that when they received
the money they prioritized when their child needs uniform in school such as p.e, organizational shirt etc. They used to buy it first. It got the third highest weighted average
of 3.19. Just what like they said. The money that they received is for the children‟s needs in terms of school. Also the respondents agree when buying clothes for special
occasions like birthday, Christmas etc… with the weighted average of 2.59. Because for them those are important occasions and they also want to look good when that
day comes. On the other hand, the respondents assessed that they disagree when they received the money they used to buy second hand clothing rather than new ones. It
is because some of the respondents can afford second hand clothing. Their income and the assistance coming from the program is not also enough to buy new ones.
Moreover, respondents used to buy branded clothes or shoes with the second to the lowest weighted average of 1.99 with verbal interpretation of slightly
prioritized/disagree, because some of the respondents said that if they buy a branded clothes and shoes, they can use it longer and it is more durable. And lastly, the
respondents disagree to prefer buying clothes in malls during special occasions like birthday, Christmas, etc. because it is much expensive, and like what they said the
income and assistance coming from the program is not enough to buy stuffs in malls. 2.4 Transportation Take or carry (people or goods) from one place to another by
means of a vehicle, aircraft, or ship. A system for carrying people or goods from one place to another using vehicles, roads, etc. The activity or business of carrying goods
from one place to another using lorries/trucks, trains, etc. Table 2.4. Financial Priorities of Respondents According to Transportation Transportation Weighted Mean
Verbal Interpretation 1.I used to walk on short distant places. 3.96 Highly Prioritized/Strongly Agree Volume-2, Issue-8, December-2018: 1-19 International Journal of
Recent Innovations in Academic Research ISSN: 2635-3040 www.ijriar.com 10 2. I allocate budget for my children‟s fare. 3.36 Prioritized/Agree 3. I save my money to
buy my own service vehicle 1.23 Not a Priority/Strongly Disagree 4. During family trips, I prefer to commute than to rent a vehicle 3.68 Highly Prioritized/Strongly
Agree 5. During family trips, I prefer to rent a a jeep than to commute 1.56 Slightly Prioritized/Disagree 6. I prefer to commute using jeepney than tricycle because of the
cheaper fare 3.90 Highly Prioritized/Strongly Agree 7. I prefer to commute using tricycle than jeepney 1.47 Not a Priority/Strongly Disagree Composite Mean 2.74
Prioritized The respondents strongly agree to walk on short distant places with the highest weighted mean of 3.96. Because for them, they would like to walk short distant
places instead of taking a ride, so that they can just save the money. During family trips, they prefer to commute than to rent a vehicle, with the third highest mean of 3.68
with verbal interpretation of highly prioritized/strongly agree, because if they are family and going to rent a vehicle, the fee will be higher that is why they chose to
commute, but if the trip is far they prefer to rent. On the other hand, the respondents agree to allocate budget for their children‟s fare with the average mean of 3.36.
Because some of their children are in secondary schools, that is why they allocate their fare but if the school is near or walking distant, the respondents are not allocating
their fare. During family trips, they prefer to rent a jeep than to commute with the weighted mean of 1.56, because if the destination is far and when they are few. They
prefer to commute using tricycle than jeepney, with the second to the lowest weighted mean 1.47. This indicates that if the jeepney is not available to their destination
and when they carry a lot of goods, they prefer to ride a tricycle. And lastly, they save money to buy their own service vehicle with the lowest weighted mean of 1.23.
This is not a priority for them, because, the money that they are received from the program is not enough to save money to buy their own vehicle. It can be inferred that
the financial priorities of 4P‟S beneficiaries are the second mostly prioritized in terms of transportation with a composite mean of 2.74. Table 3 illustrates the comparison
of the respondents‟ assessment on the extent of financial priorities of 4P‟s beneficiaries in terms of age. Table 3. Comparison of the Respondents’ Assessment on Financial
Priorities of 4Ps Beneficiaries in terms of Age Age Food Shelter Clothing Transportation 18 - 35 years old 3.10 2.65 2.65 2.74 36 - 55 years old 3.04 2.71 2.65 2.74 56 -
70 years old 3.06 2.64 2.62 2.73 Total 3.06 2.69 2.65 2.74 Volume-2, Issue-8, December-2018: 1-19 International Journal of Recent Innovations in Academic Research
ISSN: 2635-3040 www.ijriar.com 11 It can be gleaned from the table that the assessment on financial priorities of 4Ps beneficiaries in terms of food and transportation
when respondents are grouped according to age, 18-35 years old bracket obtained the highest means of 3.10 and 2.74; respectively. Such means are verbally interpreted
as prioritized. In terms of shelter and clothing, 36-55 years old bracket got the highest means of 2.71 and 2.65 in which it is still interpreted as prioritized. It can be gleaned
from the table that the assessment on financial priorities of 4Ps beneficiaries in terms of food when respondents are grouped according to age, 18-35 years old bracket
obtained the highest means of 3.10 respectively, followed by 56-70 age bracket with a mean of 3.06, and lastly 36-55 age bracket with the lowest mean of 3.04. The
researchers found out that respondents whose ages range from 18-35 bracket got the highest mean because in this age bracket of respondents are most frequent. Moreover,
some of them decide to resign to put up a business or they want to relax and take a break. Further, it could be inferred that this age have greater ability to apply, get and
process requirements while the lowest that respondents whose age bracket was 56-70 belong to senior citizens, that is why it is not easy to apply, get and process the
requirements. According to Chaudhury et al., (2013), as most of the conditions of the 4Ps involve social activities such as village meeting participation, government
seminar participation, health care visitation, and joint participation to other beneficiaries, then social relationships could be affected by the 4Ps and then result to
responsible citizenship. The researchers analyzed that there were also a lot middle age beneficiaries compared to younger ones. Mostly because they have children who
are in school or they qualify to be a part of the program. The 4Ps also promotes gender empowerment seeing as the responsibility of managing the cash grants given to
the mother. This decision is based on the experience in CCT programs showing that women make relatively better use of grant money by using it to purchase food and/or
other necessities such as medicines, transportations and school supplies. In the nutshell, the underlying concept of the CCT programs, and of the 4Ps as well, is that once
individuals are healthy, better fed, and educated, they will be able to overcome poverty in the long run (Valencia, 2009). The researchers found out that the program is
designed for the health and education children. Also children are the beneficiaries, their parents only stand as their guardian on the program. Based on DSWD (2009), the
requirements of 4Ps include school attendance and health center visits for children, and parents‟ participation in Family Development Sessions (FDS). These FDS allow
the beneficiaries to interact with other beneficiaries that could strengthen the social and community engagement of 4Ps recipients. Thus, 4Ps could have an indirect social
impact on its beneficiaries. The researchers analyzed that there were a lot younger beneficiaries who are enjoying the privilege of being a part of the government‟s
program. Probably, because they have the ability to get, apply and process the certain requirements. Lehmann (2009) found that in low-income countries, CCTs have
social spillover effects when women receive the cash transfer. This is exhibited when women become more empowered since they are the ones directly receiving the cash
from the program.The researchers found out that whatever age bracket they belong, they mostly prioritize food because for them it is the one that they need to prioritize
first in order to live and sustain. Also it does not matter if your young or old, everyone always buy first their food. Civil Status Table 4 illustrates the comparison of the
respondents‟ assessment on the extent of financial priorities of 4P‟s beneficiaries in terms of civil status Volume-2, Issue-8, December-2018: 1-19 International Journal
of Recent Innovations in Academic Research ISSN: 2635-3040 www.ijriar.com 12 Table 4. Comparison of the Respondents’ Assessment on Financial Priorities of 4Ps
Beneficiaries in terms of Civil Status Civil Status Food Shelter Clothing Transportation Single 3.14 2.85 2.63 2.80 Married 3.14 2.85 2.63 2.80 Widowed 3.05 2.68 2.63
2.70 Separated 3.33 2.92 2.83 2.69 Total 3.06 2.69 2.65 2.74 Results revealed that the assessment on financial priorities of 4Ps beneficiaries in terms of food, shelter and
clothing when respondents are grouped according to civil status, separated obtained the highest means of 3.33, 2.92 and 2.83 respectively. Such means are verbally
interpreted as prioritized. In terms of transportation, single got the highest means of 2.78 with verbal interpretation of prioritized. The researchers found out that the
separated in terms of civil status got the highest mean so that they are more focused on the needs of their children. There is no one that they can lean on. Also having no
partner in life gives the motivation to strive more. And the married got the lowest mean because they have partner to share on the expenses. According to Narayan (2007),
the determination of the social impact of CCTs is crucial because this impact could positively contribute to overall welfare through improving social cohesion and capital
stock of a country. According to Behrman et al., (2011), condition cash transfer (CCT) programs linked public transfers to human capital investments in hopes of alleviating
current poverty and reducing its intergenerational transmission. The researchers found out that with regards to clothing, the beneficiaries think that if there are some
clothes that can be reused, they will not buy new ones. The “CCT programs address both future poverty, by fostering human capital accumulation among the young as a
means of breaking the intergenerational transmission of poverty and current poverty, by providing income support for consumption in the short run” (Rawlings and Rubio,
2007). The researchers found out that beneficiaries in terms of transportation do not have savings to buy their own car because it cost much and they are not dreaming it
any more. Furthermore, the beneficiaries prefer on commuting than renting and they walk when the destination is near. A reason for voting and higher engagement is the
reciprocity from the cash transfers received (De La O, 2013). The researchers found out that whatever their civil status is they mostly prioritize the food because they
need to eat and continue living. Furthermore, all people always buy the food first before anything else. Frequently, the main factor accounting for difference in consumption
patterns between two people of the same age and civil status is they are different. It is a major determinant and this can be usefull in assessing priorities. (Etzel., 2007).
Number of dependents Table 5 illustrates the comparison of the respondents‟ assessment on the extent of financial priorities of 4P‟s beneficiaries in terms of civil status.
Volume-2, Issue-8, December-2018: 1-19 International Journal of Recent Innovations in Academic Research ISSN: 2635-3040 www.ijriar.com 13 Table 5. Comparison
of the Respondents’ Assessment on Financial Priorities of 4Ps Beneficiaries in terms of Number of Dependents No. of Dependents Food Shelter Clothing Transportation
2 3.14 2.78 2.67 2.80 3 3.03 2.66 2.62 2.76 4 3.03 2.70 2.62 2.72 5 3.06 2.66 2.62 2.70 6 3.04 2.68 2.68 2.75 More than 6 3.12 2.66 2.73 2.71 Total 3.06 2.69 2.65 2.74
It can be seen from the table that the assessment on financial priorities of 4Ps beneficiaries in terms of food, shelter and transportation when respondents are grouped
according to number of dependents, respondents with 2 dependents obtained the highest means of 3.14, 2.78, and 2.80 respectively. Such means are verbally interpreted
as prioritized. In terms of clothing, respondents with more than 6 dependents got the highest mean of 2.73 with verbal interpretation of prioritized. Conversely, the
assessment on financial priorities of 4Ps beneficiaries in terms of food, shelter and clothing when respondents are grouped according to number of respondents, respondents
with 3 dependents got the lowest means of 3.03, 2.66 and 2.62 respectively with verbal interpretation of prioritized. Considering the transportation, respondents with 5
dependents got the lowest mean of 2.70 which is still interpreted as prioritized. The researchers found out the smaller the number of dependents, the lower the amount of
expenses. So the excess money from their expenses goes to food allowance. This was supported by the Official Gazette that a household may register a maximum of three
children for the program. The researchers found out that the smaller the number of dependents, the lower the amount of expenses and the larger the number of dependents,
the higher the expenses. The researchers found out that the respondents that having more than six children the more dependents, much expensive when it comes to clothing.
Children of the respondents were provided descent clothes to wear as well as foot wears (Bastagli, 2007). The researchers found out that having the number of dependents,
the smaller the number of dependents, the lower the amount of expenses. So the excess money from their expenses goes to transportation allowance. According to
Fernandez (2011), more children were sent to attend formal education. Almost all of the respondents were able to pay school fees on time; school supplies for their
children had been provided as well as school uniforms and other school needs. Children attended school regularly and had increased their attendance as they always have
an allowance in going to school. The researchers found out that whatever the number of dependents, they mostly prioritize the food because it is needed to survive. But
the bigger number of dependents, the higher consumption and the greater the needs. Monthly Family Income Table 6 illustrates the comparison of the respondents‟
assessment on the extent of financial priorities of 4P‟s beneficiaries in terms of monthly family income. Volume-2, Issue-8, December-2018: 1-19 International Journal
of Recent Innovations in Academic Research ISSN: 2635-3040 www.ijriar.com 14 Table 6. Comparison of the Respondents’ Assessment on Financial Priorities of 4Ps
Beneficiaries in terms of Monthly Family Income Family Monthly Income Food Shelter Clothing Transportation below Php7,890 3.05 2.70 2.64 2.76 Php7,891 -
Php15,780 3.06 2.67 2.65 2.72 Php15,781 and up 3.06 2.67 2.65 2.72 Total 3.06 2.69 2.65 2.74 It can be gleaned from the table that the assessment on financial priorities
of 4Ps beneficiaries in terms of food and clothing when respondents are grouped according to monthly family income, Php7, 891-15,780 bracket obtained the highest
means of 3.06 and 2.65 respectively. Such means are verbally interpreted as prioritized. In terms of shelter, Php15, 781 and up income got the highest mean of 3.40 while
in terms of transportation, below Php7, 890 income got the lowest mean of 2.76 in which both means are interpreted as prioritized. On the other hand, the assessment on
financial priorities of 4Ps beneficiaries in terms of food, clothing, and transportation when respondents are grouped according to monthly family income, Php15,781 and
up income got the lowest means of 2.78, 2.63 and 2.43 respectively. The means for food and clothing are verbally interpreted as prioritized while the mean for
transportation is interpreted as slightly prioritized. Considering the shelter, Php7,891-15,780 income bracket got the lowest mean of 2.67 which is interpreted as prioritized.
The researchers found out that having smaller salary leads to insufficient basic needs like food. Also, their children suffer from malnutrition because of it. According to
Lamb et al., (2009), income influences consumers‟ wants and determines their buying power. Many markets are segmented by income, including the market for housing,
automobiles and foods. People will not spend their income unless they have wants and desires that can be satisfied by choices among the goods and services, which are
available to them. According to Tabuga (2011), they assessed the management of personal finances, the results of the study revealed that people considered their basic
needs in spending their finances. They spent most on food and did not allocate most of the money in recreation, house equipment, house maintenance and minor repairs.
According to them, people should create and properly allocate their budget and try to expend less on unnecessary. Keeping a list of everything they have to pay for each
month can help them figure out how much they could save each month. More so, the respondents gave high level of consideration on spend and investment in managing
their personal finances. The researchers found out that having a lower salary blocks the ability to buy what they want. More so, the beneficiaries choose to wear old ones
instead of buying new. According to Chilenga (2015), it was shown that to be able to spend wisely, the money of the Angolan students, they used budget techniques on
their allowances and they also got basic idea on how much they are going to spend each month. The study also was attributed to the fact that the Angolan students did
canvassing first before they bought products or avail services. They also paid their bills on or before the deadline to avoid penalties. Also according to de Hoop and Rosati
(2014) they indicated that the cash transfer programs are widely used in settings where child labor is prevalent. Although many of these programs are explicity
implemented, this paper reviews of empirical evidence on the impact of cash transfers, conditional and unconditional, on child labor in practice. On the contrary, there is
broad evidence that conditional and unconditional cash transfers lower both children Volume-2, Issue-8, December-2018: 1-19 International Journal of Recent Innovations
in Academic Research ISSN: 2635-3040 www.ijriar.com 15 participation in child labor and their hours worked and these transfers cushion the effect of economic shocks
that may lead household to use a child labor as a coping strategy. Boy‟s experiences particularly strong decrease in economic one of the activities, whereas girls experience
such decrease in household chores. Their findings underlined the usefulness of cash transfers as a relatively safe policy instrument to improve child welfare but also point
to knowledge gaps, for instance regarding the interplay between cash transfers and other interventions that should be addressed in future evaluation to provide detailed
policy advice. According to Arago et al., (2015), the bulk of the cash grants received by grantees was highly utilized on their basic consumption and they were able to
send their children on school. Families were able to plan and buy meals that could meet daily needs of family. Their study also showed that the families were not able to
afford treating their family to eat in the past food chains and restaurants. Families were not able to give their children with technology gadgets that could be used for their
study. The researchers found out that whatever how much their salary, even if it is small or big they still manage to find ways in order to buy their basic needs especially
food. Moderate salary level of employee has highest valuation on labor relations, in the good evaluation. The lower the income levels, the more disharmonious the labor
relations, less than monthly salary of workers for labor relations in a good overall assessment; the higher the salary level, the higher the expectations of labor relations,
and satisfaction will be reduced (Du, 2104). Source of Income Table 7 illustrates the comparison of the respondents‟ assessment on the extent of financial priorities of
4P‟s beneficiaries in terms of monthly family income. Table 7. Comparison of the Respondents’ Assessment on Financial Priorities of 4Ps Beneficiaries in terms of
Source of Income Source of Income Food Shelter Clothing Transportation Business 3.10 2.67 2.70 2.72 Employment 3.02 2.68 2.63 2.75 Remittances 3.02 2.74 2.59 2.61
Others 3.09 2.72 2.64 2.74 Total 3.06 2.69 2.65 2.74 Results revealed that the assessment on financial priorities of 4Ps beneficiaries in terms of food and clothing when
respondents are grouped according to source of income, business obtained the highest means of 3.10 and 2.70 respectively. Such means are verbally interpreted as
prioritized. In terms of shelter, remittances got the highest mean of 2.74 while transportation obtained the highest mean of 2.75 with verbal interpretation of prioritized.
However, the assessment on financial priorities of 4Ps beneficiaries in terms of food, clothing and transportation when respondents are grouped according to source of
income, remittances got the lowest means that correspond to 3.01, 2.59 and 2.61. Such means are verbally interpreted as prioritized. In terms of shelter, business got the
lowest mean of 2.67 in which mean is interpreted as prioritized. The researchers found out that the beneficiaries have a source of income which is business because most
of them depends to having extra income in business like sari sari store while the lowest mean has a source income from remittances. This was in contrast with the findings
of Urquizo (2012) that as for the secondary income of the rural residents, the heads of the Volume-2, Issue-8, December-2018: 1-19 International Journal of Recent
Innovations in Academic Research ISSN: 2635-3040 www.ijriar.com 16 households performed other activities to finance their needs aside from their original employment.
The researchers found out that when the respondents engage in business, they have ability to buy foods that they like. They also have also a chance to celebrate their
family gatherings on the restaurants because they have a capacity to do so. Having own business in the house is a big advantage because they can have additional income.
Beneficiaries do not merely depend on the benefits from the 4Ps so they still work to raise income for the family and some cling to their usual work or occupation and
some change their usual work after the 4Ps (Albert, 2008). The researchers found out if the source of income is from remittances, they have a chance to get rent to own
house or buy their own house, because they earn much money from their work abroad, they prioritize to have and build their own a house. The researchers found out that
when the respondents are employed, they prioritize their fare allowance and also their children. They make an allocation on their children fare allowance for their service
going to school so that the parents are at ease while on their work that their children will reach the school safe. Also it was found out that when the respondents engage in
business, they have ability to buy more clothes that they like. Because they owned business, they do not depend on the allowance for their children is school needs. They
have the ability to earn money for buying what they want specifically the clothes. Investing in children‟s human capital and ensuring that they grow into educated and
healthy adults, is the equivalent of teaching them how to fish. Healthy, educated children ultimately have more choices in life and are able to become productive members
of society (Bloom, 2008). Summary and Conclusions From the information obtained and analyzed, the study revealed the following findings: 1. Majority of the 4P‟s
beneficiaries in Lipa City are 36 - 55 years old which comprised of 60 percent of the total number of respondents. Then, most of the respondents were married which
comprised of 82 percent of the total population. Also most of the respondents have four (4) number of dependents which comprised 32 percent of the total population and
were receiving a monthly income of below Php 7,890 having a source of income of employment which comprised 47 percent of the total population. 2. The respondents
were assessed based on the results of food with the highest composite mean of 3.06, transportation with second highest mean of 2.74, shelter with the second least
composite mean of 2.69, and clothing with the least composite mean of 2.64 that were all verbally interpreted as prioritized. 3. It was found out that on the comparison of
the respondent‟s assessment of financial priorities in terms of food and transportation when respondents are grouped according to age, 18-35 years old bracket obtained
the highest means and in terms of shelter and clothing, 36- 55 years old bracket got the highest means. While when it comes to the respondent‟s assessment on financial
priorities in terms of food to shelter and clothing when respondents are grouped according to civil status, separated obtained the highest means and In terms of
transportation, single got the highest means. 4. The proposed program will help and enhance the level of financial literacy and of the respondents, the researchers proposed
programs which may help the respondents to be more financially literate and to be better in proper allocation of their money. Volume-2, Issue-8, December-2018: 1-19
International Journal of Recent Innovations in Academic Research ISSN: 2635-3040 www.ijriar.com 17 Conclusions In light of the observed findings, the following
conclusions were drawn. 1. Majority of the respondents belonged to the age group of 35 – 55, married, having four number of dependents, earning a monthly income of
below 7890 and also having a source of income which was employment. 2. The respondents highly prioritized their food, next is transportation, then shelter and lastly is
clothing. The respondents allocate their budget in their different needs and put their money to generally desired things. 3. The study determined that on the comparison
of assessment of the respondent‟s on financial priorities in terms of food and transportation when respondents are grouped according to age, 18-35 years old bracket
obtained the highest means. Also in terms of food, shelter and clothing when respondents are grouped according to civil status, separated obtained the highest means. In
terms of transportation, single got the highest means. In addition, results revealed that the assessment on financial priorities in terms of food, shelter and transportation
when respondents are grouped according to number of dependents, respondents with 2 dependents obtained the highest means of while in terms of clothing, respondents
with more than 6 dependents got the highest mean. 4. The researchers proposed programs which may help them to be more financially literate and to be better in allocating
and spending their money to the mostly needed things. Recommendations Given the abovementioned findings, the following are specific recommendations that could
help improve the program and make policy considerations. This study would like to recommend these to the main implementing agency (DSWD) and partner agencies
(DepEd, DILG, DOH). To DSWD, for policy considerations 1. Re-examine policy on the selection of member beneficiaries for the following years of implementation to
minimize issues on unfair selection process of MBs; 2. To fully mobilize partner agencies and closely monitor progress on health and education status of MBs, create an
orientation scheme that will provide deeper understanding of the purpose, process, and role of DepEd, DOH, & DILG in the implementation of the program. ; 3. Revisit
FDS module to include business, financial management and other topic relevant to poverty alleviation 4. Re-consider and implement the proposed extension program. To
DepEd, DOH, and DILG 1. Re-orient members of the agency regarding their role in the program and stress on the vitality of its involvement in the implementation. 2.
Collaborate with DSWD in formulating more efficient monitoring tools to assess the progress of the program with respect to its beneficiaries, both in education and health.
Acknowledgement The researcher extended his great appreciation of course to Almighty GOD and to the following persons: Kathleen, Regine and Marissa, who provided
significant contributions in the success of this study. To my family and friends for their understanding, attention and thoughtful ways. Volume-2, Issue-8, December-
2018: 1-19 International Journal of Recent Innovations in Academic Research ISSN: 2635-3040 www.ijriar.com 18 References 1. Arago, Ysabelle Janine, Sumalahe,
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