Skills training as requirement for 4Ps beneficiaries sought

MANILA, Philippines — Lawmakers have agreed to a proposal making skills training a requirement for beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program or 4Ps.

The House committee on poverty alleviation, chaired by Rep. Michael Romero of the 1-PACMAN partylist, reached the agreement during a meeting on a draft substitute bill that seeks to amend Republic Act 11310 or the 4Ps Act.

The substitute bill consolidates House Bills 2422 and 4366 authored by Agri Party-list Rep. Wilbert Lee and Parañaque City Rep. Gus Tambunting, respectively.

The measures seek to include entrepreneurship and livelihood training as a requirement in the 4Ps program to sustain the development of the beneficiaries.

Once approved and enacted into law, the beneficiaries will undergo entrepreneurship and livelihood training as well as Alternative Learning System for them to qualify for the 4Ps.

The panel said the training could be provided in the second year of the beneficiaries’ enrollment in the program.

Each beneficiary will be allowed to choose a livelihood that matches his interests and capabilities.

Lee said it is important to provide the beneficiaries with safety nets due to their “vulnerability to slide back to poverty.”