PART II : Sustainable Development and Indigenous Women A. Article 4 : Temporary Special Measure The State report mentions its programs on poverty alleviation, education, livelihoods and health purportedly to improve the social safety nets and protection in compliance to its commitments to the MDGs (paras 105-109) . The 4Ps, has now a Modified Conditional Cash Transfer (MCCT) program which has a specific programme for home street families and indigenous peoples in geographically-isolated and disadvantaged areas (MCCT-IPs in GIDA). While there is a lot of reservations on the dole-out nature of this program financed through loans, it is a welcome progress in an attempt to comprehensively address women and girls’ marginalization. It should, however, be noted that basic social services are priority obligations of states. On the surface, the program has set out with a noble intent and seemingly promising benefits according to reports. Experiences shared by indigenous women beneficiaries, however, point to flaws which could instead compromise the intent of empowering indigenous beneficiaries more than advancing their status. The conditional and dole-out manner adopted by the program, for example, has undermined community solidarity and cohesion strongly reinforced by the common value and practice of reciprocal labor. Among other issues, program procedures have become burdensome for indigenous beneficiaries. The distance between indigenous communities and pay-out centers coupled with the lack of infrastructure and services to ease travel, among others, has precipitated domestic and gender violence. The project documented two cases of indigenous women CCT beneficiaries who suffered from gender-based violence, one resulting to homicide. In one of this, a beneficiary, coming home late from the pay-out center, was almost raped by her neighbor. The other was killed by the husband in a heated argument after she came home late from the town center where she was interviewed for the CCT. Local officials thought her children would be included as beneficiaries after her death and the subsequent suicide of her husband. They were not, however, included among the beneficiaries and are now separately living with their relatives. Recent stories from women beneficiaries include delayed payments of benefits and entrusting ATM cards to enterprising lenders for loans acquired for basic needs.   15