“ Market Day” in Upi as 4Ps Beneficiaries Received Cash

Zoraida Salik-Aragon -municipal link officer with DXUP Teleradyo
Alih S. Anso, during the "cash out"  held in Upi gymnasium.

Nuro, Upi (October 31, 2012) …Thousand of beneficiaries from the 23 barangay of Upi, of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) received their pay-out  again this morning,   for this past two months (August and September)  at the Upi gymnasium.

Total of   3,683 beneficiaries coming from the 23 barangays of Upi patiently and systematically gathered inside the gymnasium to received the amount ranging from 1200-2,800 pesos. 

As if market day in Upi, regular vendors and instant vendors display their goods, foods, drinks around the gymnasium and also in the public market, transient vendors from Cotabato City display their ukay-ukay (used items), fruits, vegetables and dry goods.  Last  4ps pay out, a “small fish vendor”  sell about 20,000 comparing to ordinary day of  1,000-2,000 only.

The pay-out was facilitated by Ms Zoraida Salik Aragon, municipal link officer and regional employees of Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Social Fund.

G-CASH Remit system of Globe Telecom, disbursed the million pesos government’s conditional cash grants to the thousands beneficiaries.

Last pay out, (August 2012)  Upi has 3,225 beneficiaries of the said poverty reduction strategy that provides conditional cash grants to poor households to improve their health, nutrition, and education particularly of children aged 0-14.

Poor families receive cash provided their children regularly goes to public school and visit the health center for regular medical checkups and treatments.

Under the said program, a household with a child 0-14 years old will be granted P500 per month for the Health and Nutrition Grant and households having children 3-5 years old enrolled in day care or pre-school program or children 6-14 years old enrolled in elementary and secondary schools will be granted, under Education Grant, P300 per month per child for 10 months a year, excluding April and May, to a maximum of three children.

In order to qualify for the Health and Nutrition Grant, children 0-5 years old should be brought to health center for immunization, monthly weight monitoring and nutrition counseling for children aged 0-2 years old, quarterly weight monitoring for 25 to 73 weeks old, and management of childhood diseases for sick children. Children 6-14 years old must also receive deworming pills twice a year.

For beneficiaries to qualify for the Education Grant, children should maintain a class attendance rate of at least 85% per month. (Alih S. Anso-DXUP)