GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews / 14 March) – A total of 13,163 students covered by the government’s flagship Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) in Region 12 and Marawi City will graduate this school year under the K to 12 education program.

Gemma Rivera, assistant regional director of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)-Region 12, said Wednesday such figure comprise students who have been confirmed to graduate from Grade 12 of the Senior High School (SHS).

She said North Cotabato province topped the list with 4,404 graduating learners, followed by South Cotabato with 3,884, Sarangani with 1,812, Cotabato City with 580 and Marawi City with 183.

“It’s harvest time. We are happy for the achievements of these students,” Rivera said in a statement.[]/a> with |||

CCT, which is also known as Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program or 4Ps, is a poverty reduction and social development strategy of the national government that provides conditional cash grants to “poorest of the poor” households to improve their health, nutrition and education.

It provides beneficiaries cash grants of P500 a month for health and nutrition expenses and P300 a month per child for educational expenses, as well as P600 in monthly rice subsidy.

The program is being implemented by DSWD-12 in 1,287 barangays in Region 12’s four provinces and five cities, and in Marawi City in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

Region 12 comprises the provinces of South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and North Cotabato as well as the cities of General Santos, Koronadal, Cotabato, Kidapawan and Tacurong.