The Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) under the implementation of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) warns program beneficiaries against alleged cash card pawning.

The program has received unofficial reports stating that some of its beneficiaries use their cash cards as collaterals for loans.

Regional Program Coordinator of the 4Ps in region 9, Flordeliza A. Atuy, said that the alleged pawning of cash cards is now being validated by the Grievance Redress System (GRS).

“We have a grievance system in place that works on validation and provides actions to complaints received from the field. From time to time, we also conduct spot-checks or surprise visits to our beneficiaries to see for ourselves how they comply with the program conditionalities and policies,” Atuy said.

According to the implementing rules and guidelines of the program, cash card pawning constitutes part of misdemeanor grievances and any beneficiary caught practicing such is subjected to sanctions as prescribed by the National Advisory Committee (NAC), an interagency body that provides policy directions and guidelines to the program management office on matters pertinent to project implementation.

As per NAC Resolution 20 Series of 2014, the following are the imposed sanctions for complaints on misuse of grants (pawning of cash cards):

1. First Offense: Counseling by the Municipal Link and a written warning from the head of the Provincial Operations Office.
2. Second Offense: Counseling by the Social Welfare Officer III and a written warning from the Regional Director; Household’s grants for two (2) months shall be suspended.
3. Third Offense: Delisting of the concerned household under GRS Fraud duly approved by the Regional Director and tagging to be facilitated by the Regional Grievance Officers. The household’s delisted status is non-appealable.

Other misdemeanor complaints may include, but not limited to: misuse of grants such as drug-abuse, alcoholism, and gambling, collection of fees, and false representation of beneficiaries in the program. Sanctions vary for each complaint.

Program implementers encourage beneficiaries to participate in reporting cases of misdemeanor to the grievance officers in the region by contacting their grievance hotline at 09271613818.