CCT does not breed dependency: DSWD

Launched in 2007, the conditional cash transfer program gives conditional cash grants to indigent families who have kids ages 14 years old and below. A P500 monthly cash grant is given for health and nutrition expenses while P300 monthly cash grant is given per child for educational expenses. Only a maximum of 3 children per household are allowed to receive stipends, for a maximum total of P1,400 (about $32.90) a month for a household with at least 3 children. In return, beneficiaries are required to send their children to school, and the mothers must go for regular prenatal or postnatal care. However, a study conducted by Dr. Celia Reyes of the òòò½´«Ã½ showed that the Aquino government`s centerpiece anti-poverty program will not lift millions of Filipinos out of poverty because of its limited scope. Reyes, senior research fellow at the òòò½´«Ã½, explained the program does not make the beneficiaries qualified to have jobs, an essential requirement for them to overcome poverty.