Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (Bridging Program for the Filipino Family), also known as 4Ps and formerly Ahon Pamilyang Pilipino, is a conditional cash transfer program of the Philippine government under the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

Indeed, the main objective of the 4Ps and other CCT programs is to prevent inter-generational transference of poverty and help break the infinite cycle of poverty by providing the children the suitable educational and health assistance so as to help them develop the facilities for a better future. Investing in children’s human capital and ensuring that they grow into educated and healthy adults, is the equivalent of teaching them how to fish. Healthy, educated children ultimately have more choices in life and are able to become productive members of society.

As the program starts in 2007, many studies have been conducted.  Does 4 P’s really effective as far as the education is concern?

Study shows that 4Ps helped the children of the beneficiaries in terms of education.  They are as follows:

1. Though not enough the program helps provide the basic needs of children in school.  
2. 4Ps helped the beneficiaries in terms of the health care of their children by compelling them to visit the clinics because of the cash benefit for their children. 
3. The program also compels the parents to send their children to school because this is one condition for them to get the cash benefits.  They are also aware of the implementation processes involved such registration, membership and monitoring.  Parents support the pupils in project making and comply the school requirement
4. Attendance of children to school is getting good. Absenteeism was avoided. Teachers pointed out that, though they performed well in attendance academic performances of the respondents were poor as evidenced by their low grades.   

The requirement they implemented increases the time children spend in school and reduces the time they can allocate to work. There is a noticeable increase in the number of enrollees in many elementary schools in areas included in the scope of the 4Ps, and kindergarten classes were being established to answer the need of the community in compliance to the condition of sending 0-5 years old children in day care centers and preschools. Subsequently, if collaborative compliance to this requirement of the 4Ps is ensured, the literacy rate of the children is also expected to increase.

By: Essel E. Reyes Alasasin E/S, Alasasin, Mariveles, Bataan