1,908 households in Central Visayas graduate from poverty through 4Ps

MINERVA BC NEWMAN

CEBU CITY -- Some 1,908 households from Central Visayas graduated from the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) this year those with ages 0 to 18 years old children; those that have graduated from the Senior High School and those that are already in the level 3 or considered self-sufficient based on Social Welfare Development Indicator (SWDI) conducted by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

According to DSWD-7 regional information officer Leah Quintana that the SWDI aimed to determine and monitor the progress of the 4Ps households’ well-being and to facilitate the case management for a sustainable transition out of poverty. 

DSWD-7 Regional Director Rebecca Geamala turn-over the case folders to Tabogon Mayor Zigfred Duterte during the 4Ps graduation ceremony on June 16, 2021. Also present are 4Ps Cebu Provincial Link Brigieda Goron (leftmost) and Tabogon Municipal Social Welfare and Development Officer (MSWDO) Roglin Sumayang (rightmost).

Quintana said that to be considered a self-sufficient household, the household-beneficiary should have enough income at the time of graduation; able to cope with their daily needs, and achieved the first two levels of SWDI, which are Survival (Level 1) and Subsistence (Level 2), respectively.
ectively.

Out of 1,908 graduated 4Ps beneficiaries, 1,291 households have no 0 to 18 years old children, and 617 are already self-sufficient, Quintana bared.

There are already 23 local government units (LGUs) that have already conducted their graduation ceremony for 4Ps which included Daanbantayan, Boljoon, Tuburan, San Remigio, Lapu-Lapu City, Borbon, Tabogon, Medellin, and the City of Naga for Cebu Province,

For Bohol province, the LGUs included the towns of President Carlos P. Garcia, Duero, Talibon, and Ubay while Negros Oriental province has Tayasan, Manjuyod, Bindoy, La Libertad, Canlaon City, Guihulngan City, Pamplona, Jimalalud, and Vallehermoso and in Siquijor Island, the town of Lazi in Siquijor Province have already transcended poverty.

There will be other LGUs in Central Visayas that will also conduct their graduation ceremonies in the next coming months, Quintana added.

 “Dako gayud ang pasalamat sa programa nga nakatabang namo sa pagpa-eskwela sa among mga anak ug karon nakatrabaho na sila. Karon sila na ang nitabang sa pagpa-eskwela sa ilang manghod,” Haide Garcia from Brgy. San Isidro, Tabogon, Cebu said.  (I am thankful for the program because it helped in sending our children to school, and now they already have jobs. Currently they are helping their younger siblings who are still in school)

Haide added that she already has two licensed teachers and one civil engineer.  Haide also underscored the importance of using the cash grants wisely because it is intended to support the children’s education.

DSWD-7 regional director Rebecca Geamala, in her message during the graduation ceremony in Tabogon last June 16 congratulated the families that have graduated from 4Ps and said, “I hope you continue to work hard, persevere, and never forget to pray to God for guidance.”

During the turn-over of graduating 4Ps households’ case folders, Geamala encouraged the Mayors to provide other appropriate intervention to sustain or further improve their economic status.

The various LGUs through their mayors pledged to have an after-care monitoring program to check on the status of the families as part of the sustainability plan of the households upon their exit transition from the program, Quintana said.

The LGUs also passed a resolution to ensure the sustainability plan for the exited 4Ps partner-beneficiaries

Partner National Government Agencies (NGAs) like the Department of Education (DepEd) and Department of Health (DOH) also attended the graduation ceremony and shared the impact of the program in terms of education and health of the beneficiaries.

The 4Ps is the government’s major poverty alleviation program that invests in the health, nutrition, and education of poor eligible households. These, with the psychosocial and educational component provided through the Family Development Session (FDS), lead the beneficiaries to have improved and sustained well-being.