Having one of the most number of beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program is not something to be proud of, Bayawan City Vice Mayor Ismael Martinez said.
Martinez said he personally believes something has to be done to uplift the lives of the people, although beneficiaries are happy that government is extending help through the conditional cash transfer scheme.
However, he said this creates a bad image for Bayawan City as it means it has the most number of the poorest of the poor in the province with over 6,000 4Ps beneficiaries already.
Records of the Department of Social Welfare and Development, however, show that it is not only Bayawan, as the poorest of the poor can be found all over the country, even in big cities.
Meanwhile, the so-called poorest of the poor do not mind how they are addressed, so long as their children are in school, their health is assured especially of pregnant mothers, and food is available on their table everyday as 4Ps beneficiaries, Martinez said.(JG)