REALITY CHECK: A Critical Discourse Analysis on the societal impacts of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4PS) in Samar Province
REALITY CHECK: A Critical Discourse Analysis on the societal impacts of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4PS) in Samar Province
Mendoza, J. D. & Plamenco, G. R. (2015). Reality Check: A Critical Discourse Analysis on the societal impacts of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4PS) in Samar Province. Unpublished Undergraduate Thesis, University of the Philippines College of Mass Communication.
This thesis analyzes the discourses on the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), the flagship poverty alleviation program of the Philippines currently implemented by the administration of President Benigno Aquino III. To determine the impacts of the program at the grassroots level, this study focuses in the implementation of 4Ps in Samar, one of the poorest provinces in the country. Utilizing Norman Fairclough’s Critical Discourse Analysis, the beneficiaries’ and local government units’ discourses were analyzed by gathering documents from the Provincial Link Office in Samar, conducting focus group discussions with the beneficiaries and local government officials, and observing two Family Development Sessions. With the guidance of Stanley Deetz’s Systematic Distorted Communication and the perspective of Dependency Theory, the researchers concluded that the 4Ps in Samar is dominated by a discourse on administrative matters and compliance on conditionalities, whereas discussions addressing the issues of the beneficiaries were minimal. Parent Leaders were seen to be enforcers and influencers of 4Ps within their immediate communities, and beneficiaries’ participation is limited to the activities of the program. The Family Development Session was also perceived to be a valuable tool in educating beneficiaries, yet manifestations of poverty still surfaced throughout the discourses despite claims of the program’s success.
Key Words: Critical Discourse Analysis, 4Ps, Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, Systematic Distorted Communication, Samar