The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is eyeing the enlistment of 6,670 new Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) beneficiaries in Central Visayas by the end of this year.

Currently, there are 279,943 household beneficiaries in the region.

DSWD-7 regional director Rebecca Geamala on Monday said the new 4Ps beneficiaries will replace those who will be exiting the program.

The agency has started the validation process of the possible new 4Ps members and it is still ongoing, she said. The master list of potential 4Ps beneficiaries is being posted in conspicuous spaces such as barangay halls and municipal halls.

The list comes from the Listahanan database, which is based on the result of the second round of household assessment in 2015.

Aside from being identified as poor in the Listahanan, a Pantawid household beneficiary must have children aged 0-18 years old or a pregnant member at the time of the assessment and must be willing and able to comply with the conditionalities of the program as part of their co-responsibilities.

The DSWD has enjoined the public to validate the master list to ensure that only eligible beneficiaries will be part of the program. The validation process can be done either through a community assembly or a house-to-house visit.

“While areas in Central Visayas region are still being placed under modified general community quarantine, validation and registration would strictly follow the minimum health standards such as wearing of face masks and face shields, sanitizing hands and physical distancing during the conduct of the community assembly,” a statement from DSWD-7 said.

The 4Ps is a program of the national government that invests in the health, nutrition and education of poor households primarily of children aged 18 years and below.

It is implemented by the DSWD together with the Department of Health (DOH) and Department of Education.

Households are provided with cash grants in exchange for complying with the conditions of the program.

These include school attendance of at least 85 percent per month for children enrolled in pre-school, elementary or high school; children aged five and below would need to undergo preventive checkup as mandated by DOH; children enrolled in the elementary must receive deworming pills twice within the school year; pregnant women must receive pre and post-natal care based on DOH protocol; and parent/s or guardians are required to attend the monthly Family Development Session. (PNA)