TAGUM CITY — President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. has pledged to enhance services for Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) beneficiaries, helping them transition to stable livelihoods.
Speaking at the Trabaho sa Bagong Pilipinas event on February 15, 2025, at Tagum City Hall, Marcos highlighted efforts to match beneficiaries’ skills with suitable job opportunities.
“Ito ay paghahanap ng trabaho na akma sa inyong kasanayan upang matiyak na ang inyong hanapbuhay ay tumutugma sa inyong kaalaman. Sa ganitong paraan, masisiguro natin na ang inyong talento, galing, at husay ay nabibigyan ng halaga (This is about finding a job that matches your skills to ensure that your livelihood aligns with your knowledge. In this way, we can guarantee that your talent, expertise, and abilities are valued),” he said.
According to Margie Cabido-Sobretodo, 4Ps DSWD-Davao division chief, at least 10 individuals were hired on the spot, including eight from Carmen and two from Tagum. The number is expected to rise.
"Ang pinaka objective talaga ng activity na ito ay is to promote the employability and mas ma cater natin yung mga beneficiaries ng 4Ps because most of them are graduating na (TThe goal of this initiative is to promote employability, especially for 4Ps beneficiaries who are set to graduate from the program)," Sobretodo said.
In the morning, around 1,000 graduating beneficiaries from Carmen participated, followed by 2,000 from Tagum City in the afternoon.
In Davao Region alone, about 75,000 beneficiaries will graduate from 4Ps this year.
Under Republic Act 11310, household beneficiaries can stay in the program for up to seven years before transitioning to self-sufficiency.
Aside from the job fair, the Department of Agriculture (DA) offered Kadiwa ng Pangulo, while the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) provided jobs and livelihood aid through the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (Tupad) program for 1,000 beneficiaries.
If successful, DSWD-Davao plans to replicate the initiative in other provinces. Regional Director Merlinda A. Paragamac assured continued support for graduates, with personnel monitoring their progress.
"Hindi mag-alala ang nasa neighboring municipalities kasi this is just a start we have to continue this effort para matulungan talaga natin ang ating mga 4Ps families (Neighboring municipalities need not worry because this is just the beginning. We must continue this effort to truly help our 4Ps families)," she said.
Michel Natad, a 33-year-old 4Ps beneficiary from Magsaysay, was among those hired on the spot. In a media interview, she shared how she secured a job at a Panabo City mall after a second attempt.
“Siguro kung dili tungod sa 4Ps dili ko makasulod ani nga trabaho (If not for 4Ps, I wouldn't have gotten this job),” said Natad, a mother of two who is set to graduate from the program this year.
Grateful for the support, she vowed to work hard to improve her family's future.
This was the third Trabaho sa Bagong Pilipinas job fair, following events in the National Capital Region and Iloilo City on February 13. RGP