A simultaneous consultation conference on the Institutionalization of the Conditional Cash Transfer was held in cities of Zamboanga and Pagadian on April 1.

The participants who are Pantawid Pamilya Parent Leaders were provided with essential updates and status on the passage of the CCT bill. It also aimed to identify, clarify points and concerns raised by the beneficiaries.

Leading the workshops were active CSO partners in the region where it gathered suggestions, recommendation and input from the participants.

An open forum was also conducted where it served as venue to voice out feedback from the beneficiaries on the proposed versions of Senate bill 2954 and House Bill 6393. The said versions were presented in order to give a good comparison to generate Parent Leader’s position for consolidation.

Among the CSO partners who joined as facilitators were Labangan Cultural Heritage Council, NACPHIL, ACORD Inc., CSWD-WMSU and KFI Center for Community Development Foundation Inc.

Strengthening the partnership framework of DSWD on “Bantay, Gabay, Kaagapay and Tulay” among Civil Society Organizations, The Department of Social Welfare and Development considered Public Private Partnership as a system for cooperation between two parties for the purpose of delivering basic social services to the poor, implementing development projects of the government and instituting transparency and accountability mechanisms to fight corruptions.

On February 1, 2016, The House of Representatives has approved on third and final reading a bill that would make the Conditional Cash Transfer a permanent government anti-poverty program. Meanwhile, the Senate bill is still on the committee hearing level. ##