CCT program beneficiaries now 2 million

The reduction of hunger incidence in the country has been partly caused by the government's Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) program, which now has two million beneficiaries, President Benigno Aquino III said on Monday. “Ma-attribute ba natin ang pagbaba ng hunger incidence dahil sa CCT? Palagay ko," Aquino said after he witnessed the signing of an oath of commitment by the two millionth CCT beneficiary, Sharon Hassan Dabbang of Patikul, Sulu. The beneficiary of the CCT program signs the oath of commitment upon registration into the program to signify his or her duty to comply with the conditions that are anchored on health and education. Aquino said the CCT program is an investment on health, education, food and livelihood. Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said the CCT program is not just a policy for helping the poor but “an investment in the future of the Filipino people." Lacierda said with the two millionth beneficiary, the CCT program is now ahead of schedule in fulfilling its target of enrolling 2.3 million beneficiaries by the end of 2011. Under the CCT program, Dabbang, a housewife and mother of five, would start receiving a monthly stipend in September in exchange for her pledge to keep her children in school and to avail of regular checkups at the public health clinic for her children. The Dabbang family will receive P1,400 cash assistance per month during the school year, or about P15,000 annually. At present, the CCT program covers 79 provinces. Aquino said that by 2012, an additional 700,000 beneficiaries will be added to the existing 2 million members of the program. — KBK, GMA News