Fifty parent leaders and 10 staff of the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) have undergone training from the United States (US) Peace Corps on parenting and caregiving amid the pandemic, the US Embassy in the Philippines said.
In a statement, the Embassy said that the Agapay Training for Parents—conducted by the Children and Youth Wellness Technical and Advocacy Center in Tarlac and Nueva Ecija—focused on parenting support interventions to help manage the challenges of parenthood during the pandemic.
Sessions, conducted with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), included sharing their pandemic experiences, basic counseling, coaching skills, online safety for kids, and psychological first aid.
“Your support for DSWD, your community, and your family are valuable. You all play a crucial role in building a safe community for our children,” US Peace Corps Country Director Jenner Edelman said.
USAID Philippines Office of Education Director Thomas LeBlanc lauded the parent leaders for their resilience and perseverance in doing their best for their families and communities.
"By attending this training, you have shared your experiences with your fellow parents and have learned new strategies and interventions to cope with the times,” he said.
According to the US Embassy, the training was in response to needs identified by DSWD and is part of a holistic approach to providing technical assistance and capacity building during the Covid-19 pandemic.
It likewise aims to complement a prior youth training done by the US Peace Corps in Central Luzon earlier this year, which focused on motivating out-of-school youth affected by Covid-19 to go back to school.
Due to the ongoing pandemic, US Peace Corps staff, rather than American volunteers, provide technical assistance to DSWD and communities. The US Peace Corps is the U.S. government’s premier volunteer organization and has supported Filipino communities for more than 60 years.
Over 9,300 American volunteers have served as co-teachers, youth development facilitators, or other roles requested by host communities over the decades. To date, more than 300 Peace Corps volunteers have supported youth development programs in the Philippines.