THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND:

The pursuit of a just and dynamic social order, as mandated by the 1987 Philippine Constitution

(Article II, Section 9), resonates through various poverty mitigation measures initiated by the

government. Central to these efforts is the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) program, commonly

known as the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), introduced in 2008. With a mission to free

families from poverty, the 4Ps, inspired by Latin American CCT schemes, has become a cornerstone

in the Philippines’ poverty reduction strategy. Over the years, it has grown exponentially, with

millions of household beneficiaries across administrations. Indeed, based on the data from the

Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), as of June 2020, the 4Ps initiative

effectively provided assistance to 4,227,773 households, accomplishing 96.09% of the stipulated

annual target of 4,400,000 households.

The institutionalization of the 4Ps through Republic Act No. 11310 underscores its role in

promoting human capital development and breaking the intergenerational cycle of poverty with

dual objectives. Firstly, it provides social assistance by offering monetary support to extremely poor

families to address their immediate needs. Secondly, it aims at social development by investing in

the health and education of underprivileged children through programs, including health check-ups

for pregnant women and children aged 0 to 5, deworming initiatives for schoolchildren aged 6 to 14,

enrollment in daycare and schools, and family development sessions. Operational across all 17

regions in the Philippines, spanning 79 provinces, 143 cities, and 1,484 municipalities, the 4Ps

employs the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTS-PR) to select

beneficiaries based on specific criteria. Eligibility involves residence in the poorest municipalities,

economic conditions below the provincial poverty threshold, households with children 0-18 years
old or pregnant women, and an agreement to meet program conditions. The program issues two

types of cash grants: a health grant of P500 per household monthly and an education grant of P300

per child monthly. Conditions for receiving these grants include adherence to health care practices

for pregnant women and children, attendance at family development sessions, regular health check-

ups and vaccines for children, deworming for school-age children, and consistent school enrollment

and attendance for children aged 3-18.

Similarly, Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) programs exist in some developing countries,

including Mexico and Egypt. Kugler and Rojas (2018) emphasized that Mexican CCT program has a

lasting impact, significantly contributing to the self-sufficiency of beneficiaries by improving access

to better employment opportunities and higher-paying jobs. Takaful and Karama, implemented in

Egypt, target income support for the poor and most vulnerable, revealing positive shifts in asset

ownership, reduced debt burdens, and increased engagement in informal labor, contributing to the

economic empowerment of beneficiary households (El-Enbaby et al., 2022).

In addition to the favorable impacts on the implementation of such programs for beneficiaries,

an array of issues then arises. According to Quimson (2020), 4Ps beneficiaries faced impediments,

particularly related to the geographical proximity of barangays to banking facilities for cash grant

withdrawals. Dulliyao (2019) delineates constraints such as the utilization of ATMs as collateral,

coupled with the acknowledgment that not all beneficiaries possess a comprehensive understanding

of the program’s conceptual framework. Once, Gabon, Dela Cruz, & Mustacisa-Lacaba (2019)

emphasize the financial literacy struggles of parent beneficiaries, specifically in the judicious

allocation of budgets for fundamental necessities such as sustenance, education, medical care, and

savings. Balacuit Jr. (2018) mentioned three preeminent challenges in 4Ps implementation: parent-

beneficiaries overreliance on government financial aid leading to cessation of employment, untimely

cash transfer resulting in the pawn of cash cards, and instances of discrimination against 4Ps

student-grantees. Additionally, the program faces constraints related to government resources,

imposing a seven-year term limit on family beneficiaries. According to the Commission on Audit

(COA), 90% of the current 4.2 million beneficiaries in the 4Ps program, equivalent to 3,820,012

households, have remained below the poverty threshold despite being part of the program for 7 to

13 years. Discrepancies have been noted, including the government’s release of a list of graduated

beneficiaries only after 10 years.

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) outlines that a 4Ps household

beneficiary becomes eligible to exit the Pantawid program when the last monitored child reaches 19

years old, completes high school, or after seven years in the program. The household may also exit if

the latest assessment using the standardized targeting system determines they are no longer in

poverty. Voluntary withdrawal or specific offenses may result in delisting (Magsumbol, 2022). The

4Ps employs the Pantawid-Kilos-Unlad Social Case Management Strategy to guide households

toward self-sufficiency and poverty exit within a seven-year operational period. Graduation signifies

achieving the highest well-being level, making households eligible for program exit based on Social

Welfare and Development Indicators (SWDI) before or after the seven-year duration.

The DSWD recently announced that over 300,000 households of 4Ps are graduating from the

program. National Program Manager for 4Ps, Gabuya, confirmed the reassessment’s completion,

with 761,140 families continuing as beneficiaries. According to the agency, these beneficiaries

remain eligible for conditional cash assistance based on established social criteria (Manahan, 2023).

Likewise, the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) released its third impact evaluation

(IE3) report on 4Ps. This study revealed that graduated beneficiaries exhibit self-sufficiency, aligning

with the DSWD’s reassessment results. Previous evaluations consistently emphasized the program’s
non-dependency nature and positive impacts on labor market outcomes. The IE3 report, spanning

from 2017 to 2019, highlighted the program’s positive effects on education and health. DSWD sees

these findings as a measure of success for the national poverty reduction program, reinforcing the

outcomes observed in the ongoing reassessment of 4Ps beneficiaries (Orbeta et.al, 2021). However,

the immediate graduation of households, regardless of educational or economic milestones, raises

questions about the long-term self-sufficiency of these graduates.

In light of these complexities, this study seeks to assess the self-sufficiency achieved by graduated

beneficiaries through the 4Ps program in Guiguinto, Bulacan from 2021-2022. Aside from that,

this study shall also seek to accumulate insights with regard to the effectiveness of the Pantawid

Pamilyang Pilipino Program in promoting financial dependence and job attainment among

graduates. Nevertheless, this study shall fulfill its aim of digging deeper in the in-and-out of the

program, highlighting the long-term benefits and the bigger picture just as what the government

envisioned upon implementing the program.

1. What is the demographic profile of 4P’s graduated beneficiaries in terms off

 1.1 Age;

1.2 Sex of Household Head;

1.3 Household Size;

1.4 Number of Household Working Members; and,

1.5 Educational Attainment

2. How can the self-sufficiency of 4Ps graduated beneficiaries be effectively assessed in

terms of:

2.1 Economic Sufficiency

2.1.1 Employable Skills

2.1.2 Employment

2.1.3 Income

2.1.4 Social Security

2.2 Social Adequacy

2.2.1 Health

2.2.2 Housing

2.2.3 Education

2.2.4 Role Performance

2.2.5 Awareness of Relevant Social Issues

1. **Independent Variables:**
 - **Program Design Features:** Examining specific aspects of the 4Ps program

design, such as conditionality details, payment mechanisms, and grievance

mechanisms.

- **Demographic Characteristics:** Including variables like age, gender,

educational background, and household size.

2. **Dependent Variables:**

- **Self-Sufficiency Indicators:** Developing indicators or using existing metrics

to evaluate the self-sufficiency of graduated beneficiaries. This includes

employable skills, employment, income, social security, health, housing,

education, role performance, and Awareness of Relevant Social Issues.

3. **Mediating Variables:**

- **Program Implementation Features:** Exploring how specific features of

program implementation, such as governance and community engagement,

mediate the impact on self-sufficiency.

4. **Moderating Variables:**

- **Duration of Program Participation:** Investigating how the length of time a

household has been part of the program moderates its impact on self-sufficiency.

Explanation for conceptual framework

This research endeavors to conduct a thorough investigation into the determinants of self-

sufficiency among beneficiaries who have successfully completed the Pantawid Pamilyang

Pilipino Program (4Ps). Two pivotal categories of independent variables are considered. First

and foremost, the study meticulously examines the intricate aspects of program design features

within the 4Ps framework. This scrutiny involves a nuanced analysis of conditionality details,

elucidating the specific requirements for beneficiaries to access program benefits. Additionally,

the study delves into the payment mechanisms employed by the program, investigating the

modalities through which financial support is disbursed, and scrutinizes the grievance

mechanisms, focusing on the procedures in place to address complaints or concerns.

Simultaneously, demographic characteristics serve as another set of independent variables in this

comprehensive investigation. Age, gender, educational background, and household size are

discerned as key factors that potentially influence the self-sufficiency trajectory of graduated

beneficiaries. The research aims to disentangle the complex interplay of these demographic

elements, acknowledging their potential impact on the ability of beneficiaries to achieve

sustained self-sufficiency.

Moving to the dependent variables, the study delineates a comprehensive set of self-sufficiency

indicators, each serving as a crucial metric for evaluating the post-program autonomy of

beneficiaries. This multifaceted set includes employable skills, employment status, income

levels, access to social security, health status, housing conditions, educational attainment, role

performance, and awareness of relevant social issues. The intention is to construct a nuanced and
holistic assessment framework, either by developing new metrics or employing existing ones, to

capture the diverse dimensions of self-sufficiency.

Furthermore, the study introduces a moderating variable to add depth to the analysis. The

duration of program participation is investigated to discern how the length of time a household

has been engaged with the 4Ps program may moderate the influence of program design features

and demographic characteristics on self-sufficiency outcomes. This temporal dimension is

considered crucial in understanding the trajectory of self-sufficiency, acknowledging that the

impact of program features may evolve over time.

In sum, this research adopts a meticulous and structured approach, meticulously examining the

nuanced components of program design, demographic characteristics, and program duration to

unravel the intricacies of self-sufficiency among graduated beneficiaries of the Pantawid

Pamilyang Pilipino Program.

**Conceptual Framework: Factors Influencing Self-Sufficiency of Graduated Beneficiaries from
the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program**


**1. Independent Variables:**

- *Program Design Features:*
- Conditionality Details
- Payment Mechanisms
- Grievance Mechanisms
- *Demographic Characteristics:*
- Age
- Gender
- Educational Background
- Household Size

**2. Mediating Variables:**

- *Program Implementation Features:*
- Governance
- Community Engagement

**3. Dependent Variables: Self-Sufficiency Indicators:**

- Employable Skills
- Employment
- Income
- Social Security
- Health
- Housing
- Education
- Role Performance
- Awareness of Relevant Social Issues

**4. Moderating Variable:**

- *Duration of Program Participation*

**Hypothesized Relationships:**
- Program Design Features and Demographic Characteristics collectively influence Program
Implementation Features.
- Program Implementation Features mediate the impact of Independent Variables on Self-
Sufficiency Indicators.
- The Duration of Program Participation moderates the relationship between Independent
Variables, Mediating Variables, and Self-Sufficiency Indicators.

This conceptual framework provides a visual representation of the complex interactions among
the key elements, guiding the investigation into the multifaceted factors influencing the self-
sufficiency of graduated beneficiaries from the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program.
**Statement of the Problem:**

The study seeks to examine the factors influencing the self-sufficiency of graduated beneficiaries
from the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, utilizing the following variables:

1. **Independent Variables (Program Design Features and Demographic Characteristics):**

- How do specific elements of the 4Ps program design, such as conditionality details, payment
mechanisms, and grievance mechanisms, impact the self-sufficiency of graduated beneficiaries?
- To what extent do demographic characteristics, including age, gender, educational
background, and household size, contribute to variations in self-sufficiency among graduated
beneficiaries?

2. **Dependent Variables (Self-Sufficiency Indicators):**

- What is the relationship between employable skills, employment, income, social security,
health, housing, education, role performance, and awareness of relevant social issues as
indicators of self-sufficiency among graduated beneficiaries?

3. **Mediating Variables (Program Implementation Features):**

- How do specific features of program implementation, such as governance and community
engagement, mediate the impact of program design features and demographic characteristics on
the self-sufficiency of graduated beneficiaries?

4. **Moderating Variable (Duration of Program Participation):**

- In what ways does the duration of a household’s participation in the Pantawid Pamilyang
Pilipino Program moderate the influence of program design features, demographic
characteristics, and program implementation features on the self-sufficiency of graduated
beneficiaries?

This study aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the intricate relationships among
these variables, shedding light on the pathways to self-sufficiency for beneficiaries who have
graduated from the program.
Definition

Employable Skills: Evaluate their acquired skills and competencies through education or training

programs.

Employment: Examine their current employment status, job stability, and alignment with their

acquired skills.

Income: Measure their income levels, including wages, additional sources, and overall financial

stability.

Social Security: Assess their reliance on social security programs and their ability to manage

without excessive dependence.

Health: Evaluate their overall health status and access to healthcare, addressing both physical and

mental well-being.

Housing: Examine their housing situation, considering stability, affordability, and adequacy.

Education: Assess their continued pursuit of education or skill development beyond the

program’s completion.
Role Performance: Evaluate their performance in societal roles, such as as parents, community

members, or employees.

Awareness of Relevant Social Issues: Gauge their awareness and engagement with social issues

relevant to their community and society.