MORE than 115,000 households in Central Visayas have successfully graduated from the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), marking a significant milestone in their journey towards self-sufficiency, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) 7 reported.
According to the agency’s latest report, 79,205 households in Cebu Province, including the cities of Cebu, Lapu-Lapu and Mandaue, and 36,524 households in Bohol have been assessed as self-sustaining, based on the Social Welfare Development Indicator.
In May 2023, DSWD reported a total of 315,505 4Ps households in Central Visayas.
The 4Ps program, established in 2008 and institutionalized under Republic Act 11310, or the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program Act, in 2019, provides conditional cash grants to impoverished families.
It aims to break the cycle of poverty by requiring beneficiaries to ensure their children attend school, receive regular healthcare and participate in Family Development Sessions.
To achieve self-sufficiency, households must progress through three stages: survival (Level 1), subsistence (Level 2) and self-sufficiency (Level 3), where they can independently support themselves without government assistance.
To celebrate this achievement, DSWD 7, in collaboration with local government units, has initiated the “Saulog 4Ps” ceremonial graduation.
According to DSWD 7, graduates have successfully transitioned into various forms of employment, both in the public and private sectors.
Some have become teachers, police officers, overseas Filipino workers, seafarers, and business process outsourcing employees. / EHP