CHAPTER 1

THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

Introduction

This Study measured and evaluated the effect of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino

Program (4Ps) on the academic performance of the student-beneficiaries or Tarlac National High

School. Evaluations have helped to confirm the effectiveness of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino

Program (4Ps). The Philippines' premier program for reducing poverty is known as the 4Ps, or

Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program. It was introduced by the government with the aim of

giving eligible, low-income families conditional cash grants. In order to support the families'

overall welfare and development, this program provides financial assistance in exchange for their

commitment to meeting specific health and education-related requirements. As per the most

recent statistical survey carried out by the Philippine Statistical Authority (PSA), the incidence of

poverty in 2015 was 21.6%, which is 3.6% less than the poverty incidence of 2012, which was

25.2%. However, even though the country's poverty rate has dropped, a great deal of Filipinos

continue to experience the effects of poverty.

The government organization in charge of selecting grantees and giving cash grants

to qualified recipients who have promised to follow and comply with each requirement is the

Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) (Reyes et al., 2013). These include

yearly physical examinations for expectant mothers and kids ages 0 to 5; twice-yearly

deworming of school-age children; and enrollment of kids in daycare centers, elementary

schools, and secondary schools with a minimum of 85% attendance rate (Fernandez and Olfindo,

2011). Beneficiaries get cash grants in two different ways: 1) Health Grant of P500.00 per
household per month, or P6,000.00 total per year; 2) Education Grant of P300.00 per child per

month for ten months, or P3,000.00 total per year. Up to three children may be registered by a

qualifying household (Catubig et al., 2015). Therefore, under this arrangement, a family with

three children may be eligible to receive a cash grant of P1,400.00 per month, or a maximum of

P1,00,000.00 annually, for a maximum of five years, if they are also eligible to receive

educational and health grants, which are given through bank payment schemes, primarily cash

cards. Aside from the positive effects, there are issues with the implementation of the 4Ps.

According to the Quimson (2020) study, the 4Ps recipients found difficulty in the barangay

distance to the bank where they withdrew their cash grants. Parent beneficiaries also suffer with

financial literacy, particularly when it comes to managing budgets for food, schooling,

hospitalization or medicine, and savings (Once et al, 2019). According to Balacuit Jr. (2018), the

top three common issues encountered in the enactment of 4Ps were the following:

parent-beneficiaries depend on government financial assistance and no longer work; cash

transfer isn't downloaded on time, leading to lending of cash cards; and it is often seen that 4Ps

student-grantees are discriminated.

Statement of the Problem

This study will evaluate the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4'ps) of the

government.

Specifically, this will seek to answer the following questions.

1. How are the respondents described as to:

1.1 no. of children per family

1.2 Monthly income

2. How is the 4p's evaluated in terms of:

2.2 Beneficiaries

3. What is the implication of the study to humanities?

Significance of the Study

This study provides a profound comprehension of the analysis of the 4ps program and
possesses a strong understanding to comprehend the members of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino
Program.

To Students, This study helps students to have more knowledge about the evaluation of

the 4ps program that will help them to have a better understanding of its purpose. The students

who are members of 4p's will know how this program helps them in their studies so that they can

value their studies even more.

To Family, The study will give an awareness to the family on such rules and regulations

so that they could exercise their rights properly and to be knowledgeable that they may be part

of the projects and this will lead them to having a good way of living.

To School, This study will give awareness to teachers to know each student member

of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program and to know the students who are struggling in

life.

To the Government, The study will become an eye opener to the local or national
government, to assess the lifestyle of the people in the middle or lower class so that they could

provide more services and create more projects in order to achieve sustainable development

goals.

To Future researchers, This study that will be conducted will open doors for the future

researchers to expand their knowledge about 4p's . This will serve them as a source of

information about how 4p's help those people who're involved in 4p's and how this organization

helps them.

Scope and delimitation

The goal of this study is to define 4p's program under the philippines government

especially in cash assistance, beneficiaries. The selection of the respondents were composed of

families that belong in 4p's program.

This study focuses on the evaluation of the 4p's program in Tarlac National High School.

This study will examine the evaluation of the 4p's program. The scope of the study is limited to

Tarlac National High School's of Grade 12 students.

This study aims to evaluate whether the 4Ps beneficiaries of the Philippines

experience the same as those in the Tarlac National high school, and if the program’s impact is

significant for the lives of student-beneficiaries. The researchers used quantitative methods and

the correlational research design in conducting the study. The researchers used the census
method instead of a sampling method, as it was deemed more effective in order to ensure

accuracy in the outcomes of the study.

Definition of terms

Beneficiaries. An individual or object that gains assistance or benefits from something

Cash assistance. Refers to financial benefits that a recipient is qualified to receive from

the government

Children. A young person under the legal age of majority or below the poverty

threshold.

Family. A community of two or more individuals who live together and are connected by

blood, marriage, or adoption.

Monthly Income. The total pre-tax amount of money you make in a given month is your

gross monthly income. This covers all of your income, including tips, freelance work, and

wages.

The Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program. Is the Philippines’ version of a conditional

cash transfer (CCT) program aimed at stopping the intergenerational transmission of poverty

through investment in the human capital of children of poor households.

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

This chapter provides an overview of related published works of literature that

have tackled various aspects of 4p’s program.

Foreign

The Bolsa Familia of Brazil targets extremely poor households (i.e., those earning less

than R$60 or US$34 per capita monthly) regardless of the household composition; there is no

conditionality for the childless extremely poor households. This is in addition to the conditional

monthly transfer that the program provides to poor families (i.e., those earning less than R$120

or US$68 per capita) with children aged 0-17 and/or a pregnant woman with up to a maximum of

three children (Soares et al. 2010).

Both Bolsa Familia and Familias en Acción target children aged up to 17 for theeducation

component of the program. In 2001, enrolment rate of children aged 8-11 in Brazil was 97

percent while that of 15-year-olds was only 87 percent (Mourão and de Jesus 2012).

The program is patterned after the conditional cash transfer (CCT) schemes in Latin

American and African countries, which have lifted millions of people around the world from

poverty (Raquiza, 2018; Fiszbein, et al., 2009).

The age of eighteen who are living in poverty or in vulnerable situations was introduced in

Argentina in 2009 under the name Universal Child Allowance for Social Protection (AUH, its

Spanish acronym). To increase the program's long-term effects and end the intergenerational

cycle of poverty, it incorporates requirements pertaining to health and education. Nonetheless,

issues with coverage gaps have been noted. Based on Fiszbein et al. (2009), CCT programs seek

to concurrently address two distinct but connected goals. Monetary transfers are believed to

shield the vulnerable population from economic shocks in the short term. Over time, social

promotion is achieved through the accumulation of human capital, which is supported by the

imposed conditionalities.

Research shows that these initiatives have had a significant positive impact on the

region's short-term poverty and income inequality rates, as well as having long-term positive

effects by helping impoverished families accumulate assets and human capital (Fiszbein and

Schady, 2009).

Young people continue to face significant obstacles in their pursuit of decent work, even

with recent advancements in this area (International Labor Organization (ILO), 2015; 2017).

Only 10.2% of Argentineans between the ages of 18 and 24 have a job that meets their needs

without sacrificing quality, according to data from the fourth quarter of the Permanent Household

Survey (2016).

The most awful thing of all, kids and adolescents had been the most impacted by poverty,

and because they are in no position to improve their situation, it undoubtedly will have a

long-lasting effect on their quality of life (Gasparini and Cruces, 2010).

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 are aimed at improving their capacities (Cecchini and Madariaga 2011).

The Philippine government, through the 4Ps, provides conditional cash grants to the

marginalized or to the “poorest of the poor” to improve the health, nutrition, and the education of

children aged 0 to 18 (Reyes et al., 2013).

Mangahas et al., (2018). Stated that the parent-beneficiaries are required to attend

mother’s class and family development sessions designed to enhance their skills and

understanding of core family values and parental responsibilities, and to encourage them to be

involved in community activities.

Many families have benefitted from the program since its launch (Catubig et al., 2015).

The purpose of the 4Ps program to promote social development as a response to the immediate

needs of extremely poor families has been effective in breaking the intergenerational cycle of

poverty in many regions of the country (Dungog-Cuizon et al., 2016).

According to Valeña's (2015) evaluation, the program had a positive effect on school

attendance among Laguna public secondary school students. However, the problem of

non-attendance persists, particularly among high school students, who account for a larger

percentage than elementary school students. Additionally, there are local studies that concentrate

on the program's overall impact, like the ones conducted by Tabilog and el Pakes, Tabuga, Mina,

and Asis (2015), who found that the 4Ps raises school participation rates among children aged 6
to 14 by 3%. Mapola, Cantillano, Cabrera, and Mañabo (2017) came to the conclusion that the

4Ps are in line with and useful for developing human capital.

According to Acosta & Velarde (2015), Tabuga & Reyes (2012), Montilla et al., (2015)

Pantawid Pamilya has a significant impact on children's attendance and enrollment at educational

institutions. As a result, the program is also substantially accomplishing its goal of ensuring

impoverished moms receive basic healthcare services, with impoverished expectant mothers in

barangays under the 4Ps performing the conditionalities through prenatal and postpartum care

attendance Renin (2011), Acosta & Velarde (2015), Chaudhury et al.,(2013).

Chaudhury, Friedman, and Onishi (2013). The World Bank study on the Philippines

discovered that households in Pantawid Pamilya areas spent significantly more per capita on

medicine (34 percent) and education (38 percent). Additionally, parents of Pantawid Pamilya

were spending 38% more on foods high in protein, like fish and eggs.

According to Parrocho et al. (2013). Said that the common issue resulting from the

program is the household's lack of in-depth knowledge toward making informed decisions

regarding various parameters like health, education, familial decision development, and financial

decisions.

DSWD (2009). Stated that the 4P’s health component includes target outcomes like

increasing the number of pregnant women receiving antenatal and postnatal care; having a

skilled health professional attend childbirth; increasing the number of children 0–5 years old who

use immunizations and preventive health services; lowering stunting rates among children 0–5

years old; and decreasing the population growth rate from baseline levels.
Review of Related Studies

Foreign

According to a study by Chitolina et al. (2016), offering the benefit had a favorable and

significant effect on young people's decisions to choose to work and attend school at the same

time. The findings show that while the impact appears to be minimal in urban areas, it is quite

significant for young people residing in rural areas.

In this study by Chitolina et al. (2016) entitled "The Impact of the Expansion of the Bolsa

Família Program on the Time Allocation of Youths and Their Parents" evaluates the impact of

the expansion of the Bolsa Família program on families with youths aged 16 to 17 years on the

time allocation of youths and on the labor supply of their parents and this is conducted in other

country while our study is only focused on the 4ps program and will be conducted in San Roque

Tarlac City, Philippines.

Local

A study conducted by Reyes and Tabuga (2012). Said that the Pantawid Pamilyang

Pilipino Program (4Ps) of the Philippines has been piloted since 2007 but its implementation was

widely recognized in January 2008.This program aims to provide monetary assistance for

Filipino families who are living in extreme poverty and for them to achieve certain human

development goals given by the government. It was influenced by the success of CCT programs
in other countries wherein it has helped millions of people across the world alleviate poverty by

providing cash grants and educational seminars.

A study conducted by Dela Torre (2016). Aimed to find out the strengths,

weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), the

Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) program of the Government of the Republic of the Philippines,

from the viewpoint of its beneficiaries and to recognize the changes it brought forth to education.

Respondents, selected through purposive sampling, were asked through a researcher-made

questionnaire of their perception and suggestions for the 4Ps, and the strengths, weaknesses,

opportunities and threats of 4Ps. The study revealed that 4Ps contributed greatly to the school’s

performance indicators.

Canare (2017) stated that in the Philippines, there are a lot of social protection programs

which are offered by the government to help alleviate people from poverty, improve the

education of the children, increase the health and nutrition of households especially pregnant

women and children aged 0-18 years old. The most known social protection program is the

Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program formerly known as Ahon Pamilyang Pilipino or widely

known by the public as 4Ps. It is the most expensive and generous social protection program of

the government.

A study conducted by Balacuit Jr. (2018), said that the majority of 4Ps parents work as

farmers on a daily basis. As a result, parents can still use their cash grant budget for food and

school supplies, even though Conditional Cash Transfers (CCT) are insufficient for recipients

with large families, which forces them to pawn their cash cards.
Conceptual Framework

This explains that through evaluation of the 4ps program in TNHS senior high school

respondents are clearly discussed and explained with the numbers of children per family,

monthly income, in terms of cash assistance, beneficiaries and the implication of the study to

Humanities.

Table 1:

1. Respondents described as to: ⮧

↑ Table 2:

2.Evaluated 4ps in terms of:

Table 3:

3. Implication of the study to

Figure 1. The Paradigm of the Study

This study shows the lack of financial aid can result in some issues that the students may

face, and this also includes the food shortages on a daily basis as well as the children's education

that's in line just because their parents don't have enough money for their studies.
 Secondly, it can also cause problems for themselves because they also experience

bullying and when looking for a job because most of the parents are not that educated. This

conceptual framework contains the evaluation of 4p’s program which involves the number of the

children per family and the monthly income of their parents, as the independent variable.

Lastly, the children's education is the last to be affected because there is no more budget

for school fees. This explains further that through evaluation of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino

Program (4p’s) from the Tarlac National High School, Senior High School Respondents, All the

Independent Variables and dependent variables are clearly discussed and explained on how these

would evaluated the results of the 4ps program and explained what is the impact of this

evaluation to reduce poverty incidence among Beneficiaries and helps poor students meet their

basic and immediate needs.