A TOTAL of 466 households in four municipalities in the province of Tawi-Tawi have achieved self-sufficient status and formally exited the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) after completing the program’s seven-year cycle.
The exiting households are now classified under Status 14 and Level three, indicating they have reached a level of self-sufficiency marked by improved living conditions and stable, sustainable sources of income.
Of the 466 graduates, 202 were from Simunul, 92 from Sibutu, 78 from South Ubian, and 94 from Panglima Sugala, according to the Ministry of Social Services and Development’s (MSSD) Tawi-Tawi 4Ps provincial operations office.
Provincial 4Ps Link Pramashaira Astarani-Frayna said mass graduation ceremonies organized by the Tawi-Tawi 4Ps provincial operations office were held in late January and early February across four municipalities.
Frayna said during the ceremonies, beneficiaries received certificates of recognition along with five kilograms of rice, fertilizer assistance and cash incentives from various partner government agencies and the local government of Tawi-Tawi.
Frayna encouraged the graduates to continue striving beyond the program.
She also assured sustained support the 4Ps graduates even after program completion.
The local government units and partner agencies have likewise expressed commitment to provide continued opportunities and priority assistance to ensure that exit beneficiaries do not slip back into poverty.
Social Welfare Officer Shalyn Mustafa-Sakkam said a total of 1,690 beneficiaries across the province of Tawi-Tawi are scheduled to exit the program this year.
Record of the Ministry of Social Services and Development (MSSD) provincial office showed that Tawi-Tawi has 20,635 active 4Ps beneficiaries who continue to receive monitoring and guidance to ensure compliance with health, education, nutrition, and family development session requirements.
The 4Ps is a national anti-poverty initiative implemented by MSSD in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Barmm) in collaboration with local government units to help low-income households improve their living conditions through conditional cash grants tied to social development goals. (SunStar Zamboanga)