A total of 21 poor families from Mandaluyong City have graduated as beneficiaries of the government’s Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).
Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rolando Joselito D. Bautista and Mandaluyong City Mayor Carmelita A. Abalos graced the pilot graduation ceremony held on Monday, March 8, at the Executive Hall in Mandaluyong City.
Bautista challenged the households who exited from the 4Ps to prove the program critics that the cash grants given to them were not wasted.
“Sa mga benepisyaryo ng 4Ps na ating naitawid, patunayan natin sa mga nagdududa na hindi nasayang ang pondong inilaan sa inyo ng gobyerno.(To all 4Ps beneficiaries who already graduated, let’s prove to those who have doubts that the funds given to you by the government were not wasted.),” he said in his speech.
"Kayo ang magiging mukha ng programa. Sa tuwing maririnig nila ang programang 4Ps, una nilang maiisip ang benepisyaryo nagsusumikap, may pangarap, mga pamilyang kaisa ang pamahalaan na maiangat ang antas ng kanilang pamumuhay taliwas sa mga negatibong balita tungkol sa programa ( You will be the face of the program. Whenever they hear the 4Ps program, they will first think of beneficiaries who are working hard, have dreams, families who are one with the government in raising their standard of living contrary to the negative reports about the program),” the DSWD chief said.
He also urged the beneficiaries to serve as an “inspiration” to their communities and fellow beneficiaries.
"Bagamat kayo ay nakatawid, maging katuwang nawa kayo ng ating programa sa paggabay sa iba pang miyembro ng Pantawid Pamilya (Even though you already exited from the program, may you serve as program partners in guiding the other members of the Pantawid Pamilya),” Bautista said.
"Patuloy ninyong paliwigin ang inyong kaalaman at mainatili sa inyong kaisipan ang lahat ng inyong natutunan sa program lalo na mula Family Development Session. Hangad namin ang inyong pag-unlad at hindi bumalik sa kahirapan (Continue to broaden your knowledge and keep in mind all that you have learned from the program, especially from the Famly Development Session. We wish you success and may you not go back to poverty),” he said in closing.
The DSWD explained that in the context of 4Ps, “graduation” means that a recipient- household is in transition to becoming non-poor or classified as self-sufficient based on the social welfare and development indicator (SWDI) assessment.
The DSWD has been implementing the 4Ps program, the country’s flagship poverty alleviation program, since its inception in 2008.
The DSWD-NCR Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program said it is expecting a series of graduation ceremonies throughout the region, which is composed of 17 local government units (LGUs).
“The pilot graduation is one of the highlights of the Pantawid Pamilya as the program will celebrate its second year of institutionalization as a National Poverty Reduction Strategy of the government this April 2021 by virtue of the R.A. 11310 known as “An Act Institutionalizing the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps)”,” It said.
Based on the DSWD data, as of Dec. 31, 2020, there are more than 4.3 million 4Ps households nationwide.