DSWD assesses level of ‘well-being’ of 4Ps families in R9

• Source: http://zamboangatimes.ph/top-news/16206-dswd-assesses-level-of-well-being-of-4ps-families-in-r9.html
• Sunday, September 20, 2015

By JOCELYN P. ALVAREZ (ALT/JPA/PIA9) 14:37

How well are the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) recipients doing, a year after being enrolled in the program as beneficiaries? What are the changes and progress in their lives and living conditions? These are but few of the questions the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) here would like to know to determine the impact of this government poverty intervention program in the lives of the marginalized sector.

There are close to 288,000 4Ps household-beneficiaries in the entire region 9 and the social welfare department, is currently conducting an enhanced Social Welfare and Development Indicators (SWDI) assessment to determine as to what extent these families have improved their lives based on their economic sufficiency and stability, as well as their social adequacy.

The SWDI

Regional Director Zenaida Arevalo said the SWDI is a tool being used by the department to assess the level of well-being of the 4Ps families - from survival, subsistence, and self-sufficiency.

Arevalo averred, SWDI assessment is essential so that needed interventions, which may include employment facilitation, skills training and provision of livelihood opportunities can be carefully and efficiently planned out.

The SWDI monitoring scheme is a yearly assessment applied to 4Ps grantees.

Conduct of the SWDI

As of early September, there are already 35,686 households assessed and evaluated, quite a long way to go putting to consideration the 288,000 target of 4Ps grantees for assessment until October 20, 2015.

Assessment is done through actual visitation and conduct of interview by DSWD’s field workers, municipal / city links, community empowerment facilitators and project development officers.

In the SWDI, families are being evaluated in terms of their economic sufficiency and social adequacy.

In economic sufficiency, families are being assessed based on the employability skills of members including employment and salary, source of income, membership to social security and access to financial institutions.

Meanwhile, in social adequacy, families are assessed based on the members’ health condition, nutrition and education, access to safe drinking water, sanitary toilet facility, house construction and ownership, and social issues awareness.

Results of the evaluation will also serve as the baseline of the department in evaluating poverty alleviation programs and services.