Robbed cash grant: CFW or CCT? What’s the diff?

There is a big difference between conditional cash transfer (CCT) and cash-for-work (CFW).  A classic example of lost in translation by some media reports, according to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

While both are financial-assistance programs of the Department, the target beneficiaries make the difference.

The historic highway robbery of 8 million pesos intended for poor beneficiaries in Catarman, Northern Samar prompted the DSWD to clarify one major point: that the amount referred to is cash-for-work program of the Department contrary to news reports that it is CCT.

In its letter addressed to the editor-in-chief of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Letty Jimenez-Magsanoc on October 20, 2011, reacting to the paper’s story “P4M disappears 2 held in heist of DSWD dole” published on October 19, the Department clarified that said amount is intended for the beneficiaries of the Cash-for-Work (CFW) program. 

 “The CFW is a short-term program intervention to provide the temporary employment to displaced individuals by participating in disaster preparedness and mitigation, relief, and rehabilitation activities in their communities such as repair of roads, de-clogging of canals, communal vegetable gardening and construction of houses, among others,” the letter said.

In a separate interview, Ana Marie Daep, officer-in-charge of DSWD’s Social Marketing Service and letter signatory, said that the amount is also intended for the Rice Subsidy Program for Small-Scale Farmers and Fisherfolks “to help them cope with the increasing prices of commodities and fuel, and to tide them over during the lean month.”

“It is true that an authorized DSWD employee, in this case for CFW money, carries the cash grants to be distributed to the beneficiaries.  That’s the other difference compared to CCT money,” Daep said.  But the money, she said, should not be kept in the house of the one carrying it even for a short period of time.

 

“Under strict rules,  we do not allow this.  So that the money has to come from the DSWD office for safekeeping from the time it has to be transported for distribution. Or from the bank, goes straight to the area.  And not from any place,” she said.

She also explained that the cash grants from the CCT beneficiaries are not personally distributed by DSWD social workers “but these go straight to the account of the beneficiaries”.  But in cases where there are not ATM or cash machines to withdraw the money from, she said, LandBank personnel and other bank conduits distribute the cash grants to the beneficiaries.

The Department also feels strongly against the use of the word “dole” to describe the conditional cash transfer (CCT) or the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).

“The CCT is not a dole but an investment in human capital that ensures children beneficiaries are in school and are healthy for as long as they comply with certain conditions such as 85% school attendance of children and regular check-up,”  the letter further reads.

Stricter measures are now being enforced by the Department for the implementation of its programs and services, especially those that involve direct cash distribution to beneficiaries “to prevent similar incidents in the future”.

In her press statement, Secretary Corazon ‘Dinky’ Soliman assured the beneficiaries of the cash-for-work in Catarman that they will still get their cash assistance despite the unfortunate incident and that a full investigation is underway.

“We are supporting a full investigation of the incident and that in the spirit of accountability and transparency, the involved staff are subject to the on-going investigation by the police and inquest fiscal,” Soliman said.

She also vowed that appropriate charges will be filed against guilty parties.

Meanwhile, DSWD Region 8 also expressed its sadness over the incident amidst speculations surrounding it.  In a separate statement, Regional Director Leticia Diokno said that she cannot compromise the state of her region’s beneficiaries – poor farmers and fisher folks - who are barely without income during lean months.

“I know our beneficiaries are waiting and wanting to be part of our development efforts even with a meaner amount of P2,409.00,” Diokno said.  The said amount, she said, is the cash equivalent for four days of training and seven days of restoration and mitigation work of community facilities, food production or similar community project.

She called for sobriety until the right judgment comes.  “I am open to all of these possibilities, but let us respect the outcome of a long and intensive investigation by both PNP and DSWD.”

To date, Region 8 has sought assistance from the Central Office to have the lost amount replenished as soon as possible.

It can be recalled that in the morning of October 17, 2011, DSWD Region 8 staff Vilma Aguilar and driver Contino Goco were on their way to DSWD field office in Tacloban City when they were flagged down by three armed men who took away the 8 million cash and checks as payment for the government’s Cash-for-Work (CFW) program beneficiaries in Catarman. 

Goco, on initial questioning by the police, admitted involvement in the incident.  The Philippine National Police (PNP) has launched a manhunt for the other suspects.

A total of P3.8 million has been recovered so far.