CEBU, Philippines — The Department of Social Welfare and Development-7 recently conducted the Local Government Executives Consultation Dialogue for the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).
The activity was mean “to ensure responsive complementary services, specifically strategic and sustained public and private sector engagement, especially with local government units (LGUs).”
Local chief executives and local social welfare and development officers in the independent cities, component cities, and municipalities of Cebu attended the activity.
In particular, the LGUs presented their “best practices”, like Tuburan which was cited for “Improved Level of Well-Being”, Dalaguete for “Family Development Session”, Compostela for “Youth Development Session”, Catmon for “Convergence Practices”, Lapu-Lapu City for “Joint Memorandum Circular Implementation”, and Santander for “Grievance Redress System Initiative”.
Tuburan Mayor Aljun Diamante talked about his initiatives with the help of DSWD and other government agencies helped reduce poverty incidence in his town.
“Hopefully, mga eight to 10 years from now, we will eradicate poverty in my town,” said the mayor, who is the founder of homegrown “Tuburan Coffee”.
To further alleviate poverty in Tuburan, Diamante said he is currently training several mushroom farmers, as the town aims to become the “mushroom capital of Cebu”.
“As we look ahead, let's reaffirm our shared commitment to the core principles of 4Ps. While the national target of 1.2 million exited beneficiaries outlined in the General Appropriation Act presents a significant challenge, here in Region 7, we are committed to graduating more than 57,000 households who are at level 3 or self-sufficient,” said, Vilma Cabrera, Undersecretary for the National Household Targeting System and 4Ps, in her keynote message.
“This is a testament to all of our existing efforts and collaboration to help empower beneficiaries to achieve self-sufficiency,” she said.
In his welcome message Vice Governor Hilario Davide III said that while some critics argue that the 4Ps encourages dependency, he firmly believed that the program is an investment in human capital.
“By harnessing the potential of our people, we empower them to break free from the clutches of poverty and, in turn, contribute to the growth of our nation,” he said.
In the same celebration, the LGUS also received plaques of recognition for their support in the implementation of the 4Ps program.
Alcantara, Moalboal, Sibonga, Ginatilan, San Francisco, Pinamungajan, Malabuyoc, Tabuelan, Compostela, San Remigio, Tuburan, and Bogo City were recognized for having the “Most Self-Sufficient Households.”
Alcantara, Alegria, Barili, Boljoon, Dalaguete, Ginatilan, Malabuyoc, Moalboal, Oslob, Ronda, Samboan, Santander, Asturias, Bantayan, Madridejos, San Remigio, Santa Fe and the cities of Cebu, Mandaue, and Bogo were recognized for having a “Complete, Quality, and Timely JMC Quarterly Submission for 2023”.
Argao, Catmon, Madridejos, Minglanilla, San Remigio, Santander, Tabogon, and the cities of Bogo, Carcar, and Danao were recognized for having a “100 Percent Resolution of 4Ps Gender-based Violence Cases”.
Bantayan, Barili, Boljoon, Dumanjug, Ginatilan, Madridejos, Moalboal, Sante Fe and Ronda as LGUs with the “Highest Compliance Rate in Education”.
Alcoy, Barili, Boljoon, Ginatilan, Madridejos, Malabuyoc, Pilar, Poro, Samboan and Talisay City as LGUs with “Highest Compliance Rate in Health”.
Borbon, Catmon, Cordova, Daanbantayan, Dalaguete, Madridejos, Pilar, San Fernando, San Francisco, San Remigio, Santander, Sibonga, Sogod and the cities of Lapu-Lapu, Mandaue, Talisa,y and Toledo for having a n “Impactful 4Ps Saulog Ceremonial Graduation.”
Dalaguete was also named the LGU with the “Best Family Development Session Implementation” while Compostela was recognized for having the “Best Youth Development Session Implementation.”
The 4Ps serves as a “national poverty reduction strategy and a human capital investment program that provides conditional cash transfers to poor households for a maximum period of seven years, to improve the health, nutrition, and education of children aged 0-18.”
And with the program’s “psychosocial and educational components provided through the Family Development Sessions”, it is meant for the beneficiary families “to have improved and sustained well-being”. — (FREEMAN)