Following a two-day partnership activity dubbed as Partnership Festival earlier this month, in celebration of the accomplishments of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), as the lead implementing agency, has gained new partners to help in program implementation.
The Department signed a Memorandum of Agreement with Save the Children – Philippines and Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC), and a Memorandum of Understanding with EastWest Seed Foundation, Inc. to formalize the engagement on December 2, at the DSWD Central Office Auditorium.
Save the Children-Philippines will help strengthen the 4Ps Family Development Sessions (FDS) through their Parenting Program. This Parenting Program aims to ensure that the children reach their full potential by strengthening the capacity of parents in child development. Save the Children will also collaborate with the DSWD in the nationwide scaling up of its Parenting Program through the conduct of a Trainers’ and Facilitators’ Training among the 4Ps key staff.
On the other hand, the RCBC will engage with the DSWD through its Patuloy na Tamang Gabay (PANATAG) sa DiskarTech, a Financial and Digital Literacy Program that aims to capacitate identified 4Ps exiting beneficiaries by promoting financial stewardship practices and ATM GO for convenient access for withdrawal of cash grants to household beneficiaries located in the far flung areas.
Meanwhile, the EastWest Seed Foundation will partner with the DSWD through its VeggiEskwela Program in specific pilot project areas. With 4Ps implementing the Gulayan sa Barangay to encourage community level food production, the DSWD agreed to adopt and implement the VeggiEskwela for skills development and technical know-how on community gardening.
Partnership Festival: Recognizing partners and beneficiaries
The DSWD conducted the Partnership Festival to present the 4Ps milestones, honor the existing partners, and recognize exemplary beneficiaries.
Director Gemma B. Gabuya, 4Ps National Program Manager, shared that over the years, the program continued to flourish, starting with less than a million beneficiaries when it was first implemented to more than four million beneficiaries today. Many beneficiaries have also achieved improved quality of lives and successfully exited from the program. With their exit, the 4Ps will be able to help new sets of qualified beneficiaries.
Moreover, the program has now been institutionalized as a primary anti-poverty alleviation strategy of the national government with the enactment of the Pantawid Pamilya Act in 2019.
Breaking the cycle of poverty
Nathaniel Mariano, a former 4Ps beneficiary, is a perfect example of the remarkable achievement of the program. From being a 4Ps grantee, he is now appointed as principal of the Sta. Rosa Academy of San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte.
Sharing their 4Ps journey, Nathaniel said that his family became part of the program in 2012 and actively complied with the conditionalities. Empowered through the FDS, Nathaniel’s mother served as a parent leader, while he became a beneficiary of the Expanded Student’s Grants-in-Aid Program for Poverty Alleviation.
After graduating from college, Nathaniel worked as a teacher and eventually received another scholarship for a Masteral degree at the St. Paul’s University, Quezon City through the Diocese of Laoag Catholic Educational System (DLCES).
He happily shared, “Sa ngayon po ay hindi na po kami kabilang sa 4Ps. Ngunit ang programa pong ito ay may malaking bahagi po hindi lamang po sa aming buhay pero nakatatak na po sa aming mga puso.”
Nathaniel continued, “Nang dahil po sa 4Ps mayroon po akong magandang trabaho na kung saan ako na po ay nakatutulong na sa aking mga magulang hindi lamang po sa pantustos ng aming pangangailangan sa araw-araw gayundin, mayroon na rin pong kaunting naitatabi para po sa aming kinabukasan.”
Apart from Nathaniel, Cliff Tesalona, President of Samahang Pantawid Pamilya Mushroom ng Maybunga (SPPMM) in Pasig City, National Capital Region, shared the inspiring story of their organization and how it continues to help the members meet their daily needs. He said that the various entrepreneurial skills training activities provided by the 4Ps, in partnership with other government agencies and non-government organizations, have helped them establish a stable source of income.
Nathaniel and his family, and the members of the SPPMM are among the many beneficiaries who have attained the self-sufficiency level of well being through the 4Ps. They are proof that 4Ps is on the right track of meeting its objective of breaking the intergenerational cycle of poverty.
4Ps is the national poverty reduction strategy of the national government. It invests in the health, nutrition and education of poor households for improved well-being. Beneficiaries are entitled to receive cash subsidies provided that the conditions on health, nutrition, and education are followed. ##
