DAVAO CITY – The Department of Social Welfare and Development-Davao urged local government units to pass ordinances to address pawning of cash cards issued to beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program or Conditional Cash Transfer program.
Margie C. Cabido, division chief of the DSWD-Davao 4Ps, said that some beneficiaries would still pawn their cash cards despite being reminded that cash grants are properties of the government.
She said that the DSWD-Davao is seeking the enactment of local legislation to address cash card pawning, including cases of misbehavior among government beneficiaries.
Cabido said the City of Tagum in Davao del Norte and municipality of Padada in Davao del Sur are among the local governments that responded to the call of DSWD-Davao to penalize pawning of cash cards.
She said that the incidence of cash card pawning in Tagum and Padada was significantly reduced with stricter regulations put in place by the local government units.
She said that among the reasons why families would borrow money using their cash cards as collateral is that they need immediate cash for family emergencies or to purchase basic necessities.
However, Cabido said that most of the vulnerable beneficiaries end up being buried in debts.
She said that while the agency does not sanction the borrowers, those 4Ps beneficiaries mediating between borrowers and lenders will be delisted from the program.
“Ang target sa balaud katong naga pa utang, dili tong mga 4Ps beneficiaries kasi usahay naa gyud manipulation and vulnerable kaayo atong 4P beneficiaries na mutuo sa ilang mga promises pero nahikot na diay sila sa utang (Our target is the lenders, not our 4Ps beneficiaries, because there is manipulation and our beneficiaries are so vulnerable that they up getting tied to their debts),” she said.
She said the DSWD-Davao continues to educate government beneficiaries not to let someone borrow their cash cards or use them as collateral.
There are 24 households delisted due to offenses, including cash card pawning, and 70 suspended as of June 14, according to DSWD-Davao.
In a briefer, the 4Ps is a human development program of the national government that invests in the health and education of poor households, particularly children aged zero to 18-years-old, pregnant women and or lactating mothers.
Based on data, the region has a total of 271,565 active households under the 4Ps program as of May – 40,156 in Davao City, 59,923 in Davao de Oro, 54,432 in Davao del Norte, 35,030 in Davao del Sur, 32,790 in Davao Occidental, and 49,234 in Davao Oriental.
According to DSWD-Davao, the beneficiaries will be monitored continuously regarding their compliance with the conditionalities attached to the cash transfer, such as making sure that their children attend school regularly, undergo health check-ups, and attend monthly family development sessions.