Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Mewo Manila

Sixteenth Congress
Second Regular Session

5873

House Bill No. _

Introduced by AKBAYAN Representatives
Ibarta “Barry” M, Gutierrez 11 and Angelina L, Katoh

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EXPLANATORY NOTE

Article II, Section 9 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution provides that “the State shali
Promore @ just and dynamic social order that will ensure the prosperity and
independence of the nation and free the people from poverty through policies that
Provide adequate social services, promote full employment, a rising standatd of li ing,

and an improved quality of life for all.”

In 2008, the Department of Social Welfare’ and Development (DSWD) issued an

Administrative Order which Isid down the guidelines for the implementation of the
Partawid Pamiyang Pilivino Progam ot the 4Ps. The progium seeks to break the inter-
Renerational cycle of poverty by modifying household behaviors that families may invest

in the education of their children and their overall welfate. It also seeks to address short-

term poverty through direct cash transfers, as well as long-term poverty by investing in

human capital among the poor households.

sof the Conditional Cash

‘The creation of the 4Ps is heavily influenced by the su

‘Transfer (CCT) Progtams in Latin American countries in the late 1990s. ‘These countries

have experienced poverty reduction through their CCT’ Programs, an example being the

Bolsa Familia Program of Brazil, which exhibited improved outcomes in children’s

education, family nutrition, and housebold


The contribution of the 4Ps to poverty reduction cannot go unnoticed. This bill seeks to
enact a policy which institutionalizes the Conditional Cash Transfer Program in the
county by establishing its basic parameters, procedures and mechanisms for its effective

implementation.

In view of the foregoing, immediate approval of this measure is earnestly sought.

ae

IBARRA “BARRY” UTIERREZ It ANGBLINA L. KATOH


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

Sixteenth Congress
Second Regular Session

House Bill No.__ 5879.

Introduced by AKBAYAN Representatives
Ibarra “Barry” M. Gutierrez III and Angelina L. Katoh

AN ACT
INSTITUTIONALIZING THE PANTAWID PAMILYANG PILIPINO
PROGRAM (4PS) AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREOF

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Short Title—This Act shall be known as the “Philippine Conditional Cash

Transfer Program Act.”

SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy.— The State recognizes the need to strengthen

the solidarity of the family and actively promote its total development.

‘The State further recognizes its obligation to promote a just and dynamic social

order that will ensure the prosperity and independence of the nation and free the people
from poverty through policies that provide adequate social services, promote full

employment, a rising standard of living, and improved quality of life for all.

‘The State, in recognizing its obligation to, protect the weak and underprivileged, thus
declares it a policy to:

(@) End poverty and all its forms everywhere;

(b) End hunger, achieve food security and improve nutrition and promote

sustainable agriculeures


Lieve Jood secuuty and uaproce

(© Ensute healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages;
@ Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote life-long learning
‘opportunities for all; and,

(© Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.
¢

SECTION 3. Definition of Terms-—As used in this Act:

(@) Child refers to a minor belonging to the qualified houschold-beneficiary aged 0-18
years old

(©) Conditional Cash Subsidy refers to the monthly cash grant received by each identified
family-beneficiary;

(©) Department refers to the Department of Social Welfare and Development;

(@ Family Beneficiaries refer to families identified by the Department for entitlement of
the monthly conditional cash transfer

(© National Household Targeting Office (NETO) refers to, the office of the Department
which speatheads the implementation of an information management system that
identifies who and where the poor are in the countrys

(D) Poor refers to families whose income falls below the poverty threshold as defined by
the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) and/or cannot afford in a
sustained manner, to provide their minimum basic needs of food, health, education,
housing and other amenities of life.

(2) Program refers to the Philippine Conditional Cash ‘Transfer Program more commonly
known as the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4s) which is the national
poverty reduction strategy that provides conditional cash transfer to poor households
to improve their health, nutrition and education particularly of children below 18

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(h) Responsible Person refers to the parent or guardian in the qualified family-beneficiary

SECTION 4, Conditional Cash Subsidy—Subject to certain conditions, each
qualified family-beneficiary shall receive a conditional cash transfer equivalent to Five
Hundred Pesos (PhP500.00) per month for health and nutrition expenses or the
equivalent of Six Thousand Pesos (PhP6,000.00) per qualified family-beneficiary per year,
and an additional Three Hundred Pesos (PhP300.00) per month per child for educational
expenses or the equivalent of Three Thousand Pesos (PhP3,000.00) per a 10-month
school year. A maximum of three (3) children per qualified family-beneficiary shall be

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allowed: Provided, That for families with more than three (3) qualified children, those who

are out-of-school shall be prioritized under the program,

SECTION 5. Selection of Family-Beneficiaries Qualified family-beneficiaries shall
be selected from a list of potential family-beneficiaries generated by the National
Advisory Council, sourced from the result of the family assessments undertaken by the
National Household ‘Targeting Office (NHTO) of the Department. The National

Advisory Council shall set the criteria for selection,
The NHTO shall conduct family assessments every three (3) years.

SECTION 6. Conditions for Entitlement to Cash Subsidy—Vo avail of the
Conditional Cash Subsidy, all qualified family-beneficiaries shall comply with the
following sandisionsa: tor tamilies with more.than three: (3) qualified:childzen, those.who
(a) Pregnant women must get pre- and post-natal care and be attended by a skilled
or trained health care professional during childbirth;
(b) Parents or guardians must attend responsible parenthood sessions, mother’s
classes and parent effectiveness seminars;
(©) Children 0 to 5 years old must receive regular preventive health check-ups;
(@) Children 3 to 5 years old must attend day care or pre-school classes at least 85%
of the time;
(©) Children 6 to 18 years old must enroll in the elementary or high school and
attend at least 85% of the time;
(®) Children 6 to 14 years old must avail of de-worming pills at least every five
months;
(®) Children who, are enrolled, in, high, school, must attend, youth, development
sessions; and,
(b) Family-beneficiaries shall. join and complete at least two (2) government
recognized and/or non-government organization (NGO)-sponsored livelihood
training programs,

SECTION 7. Mode of Cash Transfer—Yhe Conditional Cash Subsidy shall be

released by the Department bi-monthly and shall be received by the most responsible


person of the family-beneficiary or any of his/her duly authorized representative through
the Land Bank Cash Card.

Should transfer through the Cash Card not be feasible, an alternative mode of
transfer shall be effected such as over the counter transactions through the nearest Land

Bank Branch or off-site payments through the authorized rural bank.

SECTION 8. Non-Compliance with Conditions.—A reported family-beneficiary
which fails to comply with the conditions set forth in Section 6 of this Act shall at first
be notified in writing directed to the responsible person in the family.

If despite due notice, the qualified family-beneficiary continues with non-
compliance, the benefits under this Act may be suspended,

Should the qualified family-beneficiary so notified persist in their failure to
comply as directed, the cash subsidy shall finally be cancelled after one-year of non-

compliance.

SECTION 9. Periodic Assessment of Amounts of Cash Subsidy—The amounts

indicated in S¢

tion 4 of this Act shall be made available to the qualified family-
beneficiaties during the first two (2) years of the implementation of this Act and may

thereafter be subjected to reasonable adjustments by the President, if necessary, upon

recommendation by the National Advisory Council, after taking into account the rates of

inflation and similar economic indicators. 1

SECTION 10. Period of Coverage of Beneficiaries—Each family-benefici

receive the Conditional Cash Subsidy until their youngest child-beneficiary or the 3"

ry shall

child-beneficiary has reached eighteen (18) years old.

SECTION 11. Lead Agency.—The Department shall serve as the central planning,

coordinating, implementing and monitoring body of the program.

In the implementation of this Act, the Department shall have the following
functions:
(@) Sclect and use an appropriate, effective and cost efficient method devised for the

purpose of identifying and selecting qualified family-beneficiaties;



(b) Identify and select the target family-beneficiaries on the basis of a uniform

objective and transparent selection process;

(© Conduct seminar-workshops and training programs in order to ensure qualific
family-beneficiary awareness of the conditions and other actions pertinent to this
Act,

(@ Coordinate with different national and local agencies, including organizations
from the private sector to effect convergence towards the full implementation of
statutory commitments herein;

(©) Set up monitoring and evaluation systems and methodologies on compliance of
conditions, implementation of operations, and output and impact assessments;

() Coordinate with the National Advisory Council to recommend to the President
measures and policies for the responsive implementation of the commitments
under this Act;

(@ Coordinate with different national and, local agencies to maintain and update
objective poverty maps, which will be checked and cross-checked periodically for
duplications and inaccurate or erroneous information;

(h) Formulate implementing rules and guidelines for the enforcement of this Act;

() Submit an annual report to Congress including, but not limited to, all aspects of
its operations, financial status and other relevant data; and

() Perform such other functions as may be necessary or incidental to the proper

enforcement of the statutory.commitments under this Act.

SECTION 12. Grievance Committee.—A grievance committee shall be organized at
the national, regional and municipal levels to provide quick access to and due process in
resolving non-compliance and complaints, and to promote a graft-free program by
evolving a transparent approach in resolving grievances particular to meeting the
conditions of, the program, The, Grievance , Committes . shall, be, composed. of
representatives from the Department of Education, Department of Health, Department
of Interior and Local Government, Natignal, Anti-Poverty Commission, and the Local
Government Unit concerned with the principal task of accepting complaints and
grievances that may arise within their respective territorial jurisdictions, conducting

investigations in specific cases and disposing cases filed in connection thereto.


SECTION 13, Advisory Council—An advisory council shall be created at the
municipal, regional and national levels to be headed by the National Anti-Poverty
Commission and may be composed of representatives from the Department of Social
Welfate and Development, Department of Education, Department of Health, Philippine
Health Insurance Corporation, Department of Interior and Local Government,
Department of Trade and Industry, Technical Education and Skills Development
Authority, Department of Labor and Employment, the Local Government Unit
concerned, and accredited non-government organizations, as members. The Advisory
Council is principally tasked to cooperate and coordinate with the Department in the
monitoring and assessment of actions and activities relative to the implementation

process.

SECTION 14. Independent Monitoring Committee —An Independent Monitoring

Committee at the municipal, regional and national levels composed of representatives

from the private sector and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) shall be created.
‘The Independent Monitoring Committee is principally tasked to complement the

monitoring activities of the Department and provide feedback thereto for proper action,

SECTION 15. Modified Program for Indigenous Peoples Communities—A
modified Conditional Cash ‘Transfer Program for Indigenous Peoples (IP) communities
shall be implemented separately by the Department. A different set of conditions shall be
identified by the National Advisory Council, in, consultation with the National

Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP).

SECTION 16. Appropriations.—The funds necessary for the implementation of this
Act shall be included in the yearly budget allocation of the Department as provided for

under the General Appropriations Act.

SECTION 17. Penalties —Any person, public or private, whether acting in conspiracy
with the public officials or not, who by act or omission, inserts or allows the insertion of
data ot false information or who diverts from what ought to be found in the registry,
with the view of altering the fact, or aiding in, the grant of the money to persons other

than the qualified houschold-beneficiaties, shall be held criminally liable, subject to a


tied houseliold-benéiciaries, shall +be-held/enmnalivetiableasubrectsto-a

penalty of imprisonment of up to 6 years and/or a fine of up to fifty thousand pesos
(PhP50,000.00), withoue prejudice to any administrative action that may be taken against
the offender, in accordance with the implementing rules and regulations.

Without prejudice to penal sanctions, the beneficiary who fraudulently uses the
benefit shall be obliged to effect reimbursement of the amount received with interest of

‘one (1%) percent every month.

SECTION 18. Implementing Rules and Regulations-—Within sixty (60) days from
the effectivity of this Act, the Secretary of the Department shall promulgate the rules and
regulations necessary for the effective implementation of this Act.

SECTION 19. Separability Clause—If any part, section or provision of this Act is
held invalid or unconstitutional, other provisions not affected thereby shall remain in full
force and effect.

‘

SECTION 20. Repealing Clause —All laws, decrees, orders, rules and regulations or
other issuances, which are inconsistent with the provisions of this Act, are hereby

repealed, amended or modified accordingly.

SECTION 21. Effectivity—This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its

publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

Approved, iccssaty tor ine ettecuite unplerneniau

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held invalid or unconstitutional; other provisions nob abtedted thereby sialleerndhiart tall:

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