2013年-世界发展银行全球_Philippines_Conditional_Cash_Transfer_Program___Impact_Evaluation_2012_80页_2mb

Summary of the Philippines Conditional Cash Transfer Program Impact Evaluation 2012

Core Content

The Pantawid Pamilya Program (formerly known as the 4Ps program) is a conditional cash transfer (CCT) initiative in the Philippines designed to reduce poverty by promoting investments in the education and health of poor children and pregnant women. It provides monthly cash grants to eligible households, conditional on their participation in education and health activities. The program was evaluated through a randomized control trial (RCT) and regression discontinuity design (RDD), as part of a three-wave impact evaluation series initiated by the Philippines Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the World Bank.

The evaluation aimed to assess whether the program was achieving its specific objectives: (i) keeping children in school, (ii) keeping children healthy, and (iii) increasing investments in children's future. It also examined non-targeted indicators such as household consumption, savings, and fertility rates.

Main Findings

Program Impact on Targeted Indicators

• Education: The program significantly increased school enrollment among children aged 3–11 years, with a 10 percentage point increase for 3–5 year olds and a 4.5 percentage point increase for 6–11 year olds compared to non-beneficiary households. For children aged 6–17, school attendance improved, but enrollment among older children (12–17 years) was not significantly affected.

  • Positive outcomes: Near-universal enrollment of 98% among children aged 6–11.
  • Limitation: The program is not explicitly designed to improve education for children above 14, and there was no significant improvement in enrollment for children aged 12–14.

• Health: The program led to improved long-term nutritional status of children aged 6–36 months, with a 10 percentage point reduction in severe stunting compared to non-beneficiary households. This was attributed to better maternal care, improved feeding practices, and increased use of health services.

  • Health service use: Beneficiaries used maternal and child health services more frequently, including antenatal and postnatal care, growth monitoring, and deworming.
  • Healthcare-seeking behavior: Improved healthcare-seeking behavior among beneficiaries when their children fell ill.

• Investment in Children's Future: The program increased spending on health and education by beneficiary households, while reducing spending on adult goods such as alcohol. It also contributed to increased savings among beneficiaries.

Program Impact on Non-Targeted Indicators

• Consumption: There was no significant increase in per capita consumption among beneficiaries, although some evidence suggested increased savings in certain provinces.
• Fertility Rates: The program did not impact fertility rates, as women in beneficiary households had similar rates of childbirth compared to non-beneficiary households.
• Labor Participation: Beneficiary households did not reduce work efforts, indicating that the program did not discourage labor participation.

Differential Impacts

• Regional Differences: The program had varying impacts across provinces, with Negros Oriental showing the strongest positive effects, while Lanao del Norte showed weaker impacts.
• Poblacion vs. Non-Poblacion: The program had different effects depending on whether households were in urban (poblacion) or rural (non-poblacion) areas.
• Relative Poverty and Indigenous Peoples: The program had differential impacts based on relative poverty status and Indigenous Peoples (IP) status.
• Gender: No significant differences were found in program impact based on gender.

Key Policy Implications

• Expand Coverage: To improve educational outcomes for older children, the program should consider expanding the age of eligibility and increasing grant amounts for older children.
• Extend Program Duration: The current five-year eligibility limit may be too short to ensure long-term human capital development, and extending the duration could help improve consumption and education outcomes.
• Strengthen Linkages: Better coordination with health and education service providers is needed to ensure that beneficiaries receive the required services and maintain a continuum of care.
• Utilize Social Mobilization: Other social programs with long-term impacts on the poor could benefit from leveraging Pantawid Pamilya's strong social mobilization structure.
• Identify Regional Disparities: Understanding the reasons for regional differences in program impact is essential for more efficient implementation and policy adjustments.

Program Overview

• Launch: February 2008, with 6,000 beneficiaries in four pilot municipalities and two cities.
• Coverage: By May 2012, the program covered approximately 3 million households.
• Eligibility: Based on the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTS-PR), which uses proxy means testing (PMT) and geographical targeting.
• Cash Grants: Ranging from PhP 500 to PhP 1,400 per household every two months, depending on the number of eligible children.
• Conditionality: Participation in child health services, school enrollment, and maternal health services.

Methodology

• RCT and RDD: The study used randomized control trials and regression discontinuity design to evaluate the program's impact.
• Sample Size: The study involved 3,472 interviewed households, with randomly assigned program and non-program areas.
• Data Collection: Conducted by Social Weather Stations, with field supervision and data analysis by the World Bank team.

Conclusion

The Pantawid Pamilya Program has had positive impacts on education and health outcomes for poor children and pregnant women, particularly in school enrollment and child nutrition. However, the program's impact on older children's education and household consumption was limited. The findings suggest that further improvements in service delivery, program design, and coordination are necessary to ensure long-term success and equitable outcomes. The study highlights the importance of evaluating and adjusting the program to better meet its goals and address regional disparities.