A total of 596, 527 children in the CALABARZON are being supported to school through the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). These children, age three to 18, are enrolled from pre-school to high school for the school year 2015-2016.

The said children are members of the 329, 463 registered household-beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilya program in the region.

The Pantawid Pamilya is a program of the national government that provides conditional cash grants to qualified poor families for the health and educational needs of children age zero to 18. For the education, family-beneficiaries are provided PhP300 financial assistance per month per child in elementary and PhP500 per month per child in high school (maximum of three children per family). This is in exchange for the child’s at least 85% monthly attendance in school.

“Napakalaking tulong sa amin ng Pantawid Pamilya dahil ang mga gastusin sa school naming apat na magkakapatid ay nasasagot na,” shared Jamlech Iram Gojo Cruz, 15, a child-beneficiary of the program from Majayjay, Laguna.

Gojo Cruz’ father is a contractual employee in their town’s local government unit while his mother helps with the finances through small businesses such as selling perfume and delicacies. According to him, they used to have trouble having complete school supplies and joining in extra-curricular activities before the program.

Of the said number of children supported by the program, 64, 192 are in pre-school, 476, 529 are in elementary and 55, 806 are in high school.

Besides educational assistance, the Pantawid Pamilya also supports the health of these children through the provision of PhP500 health grant per family. Conditions of beneficiaries under the health grant include monthly preventive health checkup and deworming of children.#