Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Asst. Secretary Irene Dumlao listens to the stories of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) beneficiaries during the “4Ps Talakayan” on Wednesday (August 6) held at the Sequoia Hotel in Quezon City.
Among the beneficiaries who shared how the status of their lives improved because of the 4Ps program were Kate Hillary Condez from Region MIMAROPA; Marites Labasbas and Maricel Gadbilao from Region 5 (Bicol Region); Risa Jane Saavedra from the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM); Aida Bolawit from Region 11 (Davao Region); and Myra Delvo from Region CALABARZON.
The event is part of the 4Ps Anniversary Culminating Activity: Pagdiriwang ng Pag-unlad ng Pantawid sa loob ng Labing Pitong taon.
The 4Ps is the national poverty reduction strategy and human capital investment program that provides conditional cash transfer to improve the health, nutrition, and the education of children aged 0-18.
Currently, more than 4.4 million households continue to benefit from the program. (AKDL)
DSWD wraps up 4Ps 17th anniversary with tribute to successful members, loyal implementers
Beneficiaries of the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) took center stage during the two-day celebration of the 4Ps’ 17th anniversary, which also gave recognition to the program’s partners, at the Sequoia Hotel in Quezon City.
With the theme, “Pagdiriwang ng Pag-unlad ng Pantawid sa loob ng Labing Pitong taon,” the culminating event on Wednesday (August 6) served as a platform to celebrate the milestones of the program, including the stories of determination and successes of its beneficiaries and loyal program implementers.
“Nang nagsimula ang 4Ps, ito ay may bitbit na simpleng layunin lamang – ang tulungan ang mga maralitang Pilipino na makatawid mula sa kahirapan. And today, we are no longer just helping families to survive, we are witnessing empowered households that are thriving and achieving self-sufficiency levels with dignity, hope, and resilience,” Asst. Secretary Elaine Fallarcuna of the 4Ps Support to Operations and New Initiatives under the Conditional Cash Transfer Group (CCTG) said in her opening message.
During the culminating event, selected 4Ps beneficiaries shared how their families were able to overcome difficulties through the help of the program in the “4Ps Talakayan,” which was facilitated by Asst. Secretary Irene Dumlao, the DSWD’s spokesperson.
Risa Jane Saavedra, a former 4Ps monitored child from the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), happily narrated how the program became a big help to finish her education.
“Kahit po 4Ps po, hindi ko po masasabi na smooth sailing yung direction po namin para makapagtapos ng pag-aaral pero naging bearable po sya. At the same time, it’s not just ayuda lang, miyembro ka lang, kailangan mo rin kumilos. So, yung 4Ps po, ginamit mo sya para makakuha ng scholarship sa gobyerno…Sa edukasyon po talaga binuhos ng parents ko po yung nakukuha nila sa 4Ps kasi yun na lang po yung sinasabi nila na maipapamana nila sa amin,” Risa Jane shared during the Talakayan.
Risa Jane is now a registered nurse, while her two brothers were able to also finish their college education and are now working as seafarers.
Myra Delvo, a 4Ps beneficiary from Rodriguez, Rizal, pointed out that she learned valuable lessons from the program by religiously attending the monthly Family Development Sessions (FDS).
“Ako po ay yung pagpapalaki sa mga anak. Obligasyon po ng isang ina, obligasyon ng magulang na mapag-aral at mapagtapos ang isang anak para sa pangarap nila at iyon lang po yung maipapamana namin sa kanila. Hindi naman po sa kayamanan pero po sa pag-aaral, iyon po ang pinaka-importante sa kanila kasi po pagdating ng panahon ay maipagmamalaki nila,” Myra explained.
During the event, the 4Ps National Program Management Office (NPMO) acknowledged members of the 4Ps National Advisory Council (NAC), the National Technical Working Group members, as well as development partners, including the World Bank (WB), Asian Development Bank (ADB), and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) of the Australian government for their notable support to the successful implementation of the program.
DSWD officials led by Asst. Secretary Marites Maristela of the CCTG, Asst. Secretary Fallarcuna, 4Ps National Program Manager (NPM) Director Gemma Gabuya, as well as DSWD Regional Directors gave recogniztion to the loyalty awardees from the 4Ps Regional Program Management Offices across the country for their dedicated service to ensure the efficient and effective implementation of the program.
The culminating activity is part of the 4Ps anniversary celebration, dubbed as “Labing Pitong Taon ng Pagpupunla: 4Ps, Yumayabong na Pamilya at Pamayanan.”
The 4Ps is the national poverty reduction strategy and human capital investment program that provides conditional cash transfer to improve the health, nutrition, and the education of children aged 0-18. Currently, more than 4 million households continue to benefit from the program. (AKDL)
