Eastern Visayas: About 4,592 pregnant women and mothers with toddlers from low-income families in Eastern Visayas have begun receiving a monthly cash grant as part of the Department of Social Welfare and Development's (DSWD) initiative to support the first 1,000 days of life.
According to Philippines News Agency, each beneficiary will receive PHP350 per month to aid in health and nutrition during pregnancy and child feeding, as stated by Jonna Marquez-Ranes, DSWD information officer for the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps). The new intervention program, initiated on February 21, is part of the expanded health intervention for 4Ps beneficiaries, a conditional cash transfer program for impoverished families institutionalized in 2019.
"Beneficiaries are identified through manual updating of our 4Ps beneficiaries. Some also registered online. They are also validated by our field personnel," Marquez-Ranes mentioned in an interview.
The First 1,000 Days Law, enacted in 2018, aims to enhance the health and nutrition of mothers and children in the Philippines during the crucial first 1,000 days of life. "This is our support for the law to prevent stunting within the first 1,000 days of a child from the womb until the child reaches the age of two years old," Marquez-Ranes added.
The F1KD strategy under 4Ps is a realization of the proposed reforms from the sectoral meeting in February 2024 with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. This strategy aims to provide cash grants to pregnant and lactating women to ensure they seek health services to address their children's health needs in their first 1,000 days of life.
To qualify for the monthly F1KD grants, beneficiaries must adhere to program conditions, which include accessing pre-natal services at health facilities accredited by the Department of Health (DOH). They must also track pregnancy, receive ante-natal care services, deliver at a DOH-accredited health facility, attend post-natal visits, participate in counseling sessions, and obtain micronutrient supplements and immunizations.
