March 2, 2016
Ms. NINEZ CACHO-OLIVAREZ
Editor-in-Chief
The Daily Tribune
Port Area, Manila
Dear Ms. Cacho-Olivarez:
We are writing to clarify the issue raised in your newspaper editorial, “Dinky’s LP streak shows”, which was published on February 29.The editorial mentioned that the Commission on Audit (COA) report on the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) covering 2014 and early 2015 showed several alarms raised over Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program.Thank you for your concern in the implementation of the Pantawid Pamilya.However, we would like to clarify that the Department has already responded to the COA issues mentioned in the editorial. The explanations and justifications have been accepted by COA, and subsequently included in their final audit report.The first issue raised was that COA said that 3,649 families that were covered by the audit received cash grants even if they were found non-compliant with the 4Ps criteria. It added that a total of P4.9 million was released to the beneficiaries even if they are not meeting the health and education requirements of the program. The COA report went on to say that the payment of grants to beneficiaries not compliant on the conditionalities of the program is contrary to 4Ps Operations Manual, which should be immediately recovered from the beneficiaries.Per DSWD’s Management response to the issue, it explained that the beneficiaries were paid grants accordingly either because they had registered new eligible members for compliance monitoring, or they were compliant with at least one conditionality in the latter periods of 2014.One of the major reasons, based on our assessment and validation, is that they have no eligible members for compliance monitoring, but they subsequently registered 15-18 year-old children beneficiaries in the latter periods because of the new Extended Age Coverage policy, therefore they were monitored again and paid accordingly.The other major reason was that they have transferred school or health facilities and have been complying but there were delays in knowing where to monitor them. Thus, it is not correct to state that grants were paid to non-compliant beneficiaries.On the issue that auditors also discovered 1,872 duplicate beneficiaries, only 395 have been so far found to be duplicates, and the Department has corrective and recovery measures in place if indeed these duplicates were confirmed to have received excess payments.Please note, too, that the observations made by the COA in the audit report are not conclusive statements confirming that irregularities had been actually committed. These were made as part of the government routine to provide a check-and-balance mechanism and enhance operations.Aside from the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) issues, the editorial also mentioned that the camp of Vice-President Binay insinuated that Liberal Party has been using CCT funds to recruit “volunteers’ or poll watchers for the May elections.There is no truth to this allegation. DSWD is not in anyway involved in the recruitment of volunteers for the May polls. Beneficiaries of Pantawid Pamilya are free to decide if they want to be involved in political activities or not. That is their right as citizens, and it is on their own free will.As implementer of the program, DSWD conducts the Family Development Sessions (FDS) where the beneficiaries are taught about active citizenship and their role in nation building.We hope this clarification finds space in your newspaper.
Thank you.
Very truly yours,
[Sgd.] CEZARIO JOEL C. ESPEJO
Director
Social Marketing Service
Source: Letter to Daily Tribune | Department of Social Welfare and Development