Unconditional Cash Transfer Program of UNICEF: Response to

Yolanda*

Celia M. ReyesCBMS Network Leader

Presentation during the 12th CBMS National ConferenceCrowne Plaza Manila GalleriaMarch 01, 2016

OVERVIEW

• Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan), one of the strongest tropical cyclones ever recorded, made landfall in Leyte on November 8, 2013.

• In response to the devastating effects of super typhoon Yolanda in Tacloban City and neighboring areas, UNICEF implemented an emergency cash transfer (UCT) program to provide quick relief to children and their families.

OVERVIEW

• Ten thousand vulnerable families in TaclobanCity and municipalities of Burauen, Dagami, Julita, La Paz, and Pastrana in Leyte were identified to receive USD100 every month for a period of six months (February to July 2014)

• The program was implemented by Action Contre la Faim (ACF) International, a global humanitarian organization.

OVERVIEW

• Since the UCT was the first ever cash transfer program of UNICEF in the Philippines, UNICEF commissioned the Philippine Statistical Association, Inc. to monitor the impacts of the program.

ISSUES

• Cash vs. Non-cash

• Unconditional vs. Conditional

• Monthly vs. Lump-sum

• Duration?

• Amount?

• Who gets the assistance?

KEY FINDINGS

© Matimtiman/Greenpeace

IMPACT

• The emergency cash transfer was able to help the beneficiaries smooth their food consumption as well as address some of their other needs such as medicines, housing repair, livelihood and education-related expenses.

Design of cash transfer program

• UNICEF's unconditional cash transfer program provided the beneficiary households the much needed cash to smooth their consumption.

• The UCT money was used mainly to smooth food consumption, with about half of the cash transfer being spent on food. The second most important use was for miscellaneous expenses, including medicines and diapers. It was noted that a significant proportion went to savings.

Targeting of beneficiaries

• In the absence of readily available information at the household level to identify beneficiaries, the implementing partner interviewed potential beneficiaries and applied its own screening procedure. Tape measure used to measure the mid-upper

arm circumference (MUAC) to determine if the child is malnourished.©UNICEF Philippines/2013/Heather Papowitz

Targeting of beneficiaries

• There was a set quota for each municipality and the strategy employed was to interview households until the quota for the municipality had been reached.

• Leakage was less of a problem than exclusion. The fact that ACF disseminated the list of beneficiaries in the barangays helped in ensuring that only the poor would be enrolled in the program.

Implementation

• There were initially only 2distribution centers: LBC officesin Tacloban and Burauenresulting in significant costs interms of money and time on thepart of the beneficiaries. Twodistribution centers in Taclobanwere added later to reduce thequeues.

• LBC initially had problems withproviding the exact amount.

Representatives of beneficiary households line up to receive their monthly cash grant.©UNICEF Philippines/2014/Joey Reyna

Recovery

• About 61 percent of the sample households surveyed have recovered from typhoon Yolanda with 28 percent fully recovered.

• Households who merged or engaged in agriculture, particularly coconut farming, were less likely to recover.

Other assistance programs

• There were many government agencies, private sector, international and local development partners that provided assistance, either in cash or in kind. Unfortunately, there was no mechanism to coordinate the distribution of assistance to ensure that all the affected families would be assisted

Lessons learned and implications for future emergency cash transfer programs

© Matimtiman/Greenpeace

Design of cash transfer program

• Unconditional cash transfer programs allows the beneficiaries to use the funds to address their most pressing needs.

• The amount of PhP4370 per month over a period of six months is substantial compared to the usual income of the beneficiaries and cash assistance provided by other donors.

Design of cash transfer program

• If the main objective is to smooth consumption, monthly distribution of cash is preferable over a one-time distribution. The latter would be useful to those who would use the cash to restart a business or repair a house.

Targeting Scheme

• Eligibility criteria should be clear and measurable to ensure that the target clientele are covered. More structured screening of households can be used to facilitate objective selection of beneficiaries.

• The local government should invest on household level data to prepare for emergencies as well for use during emergencies.

• CBMS can provide the needed data

Distribution mechanism

• Distribution points should be accessible to the beneficiaries, both in terms of physical distance, and cost in time and transport. This may require using the services of multiple financial services providers rather than a single provider.

• Schedule of distribution should be well-synchronized to avoid queues.

Recovery

• It takes more than 6 months for some households to recover

• How long should the assistance be?

Frederick, 8, fills a plastic container with water from a tapstand in Tacloban City. UNICEF helped restore water supply in the city.©UNICEF Philippines/2013/JeoffreyMaitem

Coordination and other concerns

• The unconditional cash transfer, by itself, cannot be expected to be able respond to all the needs of the families. This should be viewed in conjunction with other programs being implemented in these areas.

• Cash transfer programs can provide the vehicle for other interventions.

Coordination and other concerns

• Prompt return to school following a disaster is considered one of the most highly endorsed best practices. Resumption of a routine for children, such as attending school, should be emphasized. Therefore, the use of schools as evacuation centers should be minimized.

PEP Asia - CBMS International Network Coordinating Team De La Salle - Angelo King Institute for Economic and Business Studies10th Floor, Angelo King International Center, Estrada corner Arellano Streets, Malate, ManilaTelefax (632) 5262067; Email at: cbms.network@gmail.com; celia.reyes@benilde.edu.phWebsite: http://www.pep-net.org/about-cbms

THANK YOU!

© Matimtiman/Greenpeace