Initial Results of the Qualitative Study on the
Experiences and Views of CCT Women Beneficiaries
Overview
Around the world, women portray as the face of poverty. In the Philippines, the seemingly impressive GDP (gross domestic product) does not translate stable jobs for women that can feed them and their families. Most of those “employed” are in informal work with wages or incomes way below the needed amount to be able to sustain daily living. Women also suffer poor health conditions. According to the World Health Organization, “the Philippines is one of 55 countries accounting for 94% maternal death in the world”.
As a worldwide concern, the United Nations adopted in 2000 the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which is set to be achieved by 2015. Rushing to meet the MDG commitment to halve extreme poverty by 2015, cash transfer programs were widely adopted to address poverty in many developing countries such as in Latin America and in some Asian countries like the Philippines. These cash transfer programs have been established through the support of World Bank and other international financial institutions, which actively campaign for such schemes as social protection programs of developing countries.
With its aim to comply with MDG commitment, the Philippines adopted its own version of the conditional cash transfer (CCT) termed locally as Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program or 4Ps. The 4Ps intends to meet Goal 3 for gender equality and Goal 5 for improvement of maternal health of MDG thus focusing on indigent mothers with school-aged children.
The 4Ps started in 2007 during the time of Gloria Macapacal Arroyo. Implemented through the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), conditional cash grants were given to poor households to improve their health, nutrition, and education for children aged 0-14 years old.
Under the Arroyo administration, the program received much criticism. Despite the questions and criticisms, the incumbent Aquino administration continued it in 2010, even making the program its central social development program with an expanded number of beneficiaries.
The Aquino government initially allotted Php29.2 billion budget to social welfare where 72% or Php21 billion were allocated to the cash transfer scheme. The cash was supposed to be distributed to 2.3 million poor families in a span of five years. The fund was part of US$ 405 million or Php35 billion loan from World Bank and Asian Development Bank.
As a research and training institution regularly monitoring women-related programs, the Center for Women’s Resources deemed it necessary to look into CCT/ 4Ps, its cash transfer scheme, and its social cost to women.
The program correctly targeted the poorest of the poor since their welfare should be the primary obligation and responsibility of the state. It is the obligation of the government to ensure the social protection, security, and services for the marginalized people’s basic needs, especially their needs for education, health, and housing.
In the midst of the incessant questions on CCT/ 4Ps as the answer to poverty alleviation, CWR decided to go directly to the core of the program — the women beneficiaries themselves.
Thus, CWR is starting a qualitative study with a series of data gathering, monitoring, and discussions with the women beneficiaries and other stakeholders in the program. The series will record the experiences and perceptions of women as the major stakeholder.
This particular study is the first of the series, as CWR continues to consolidate the documents and primary data gathered from the different areas with CCT/ 4Ps program.
