A couple of weeks after the Province of Negros Oriental rejoiced in their Buglasan Festival, or celebrations of thanksgiving for the abundant harvest, they once again celebrated another milestone as 249 households from the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) graduated from the program.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office VII conducted the Saulog Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program Ceremonial Graduation and Partnership Summit, which was attended by the local chief executives, partners, stakeholders, 4Ps partner-beneficiaries, and DSWD officials and staff at the Plenary Hall, Negros Oriental Convention Center, Dumaguete City, on November 11, 2022.

All 249 have attained the self-sufficient level, coming from nine (9) local government units in Negros Oriental and five (5) other graduates from the four towns of Siquijor.

Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo saw the event as a personification of the program’s successful implementation in collaboration with local government units.

“Nagpaila kini nga nagmalampuson ang programa aron makab-ot ang  mga katuyoan nga mao ang paghaw-as sa kawad-on ug kapobrehon sa atong mga katawhan (This only means that the program has been successful in attaining its goal to alleviate poverty and improve the lives of the people),” said Degamo. 

Degamo said that apart from the psychosocial and educational components of the program, 4Ps members have also learned skills and ways that help them develop and establish self-sustaining livelihoods while improving their way of life.

DSWD-7 Regional Director Shalaine Marie Lucero presented the individual successes of the graduating households of the program with the help of various partners, such as national government agencies, local government units, civil society organizations, and academe.

“We would like to announce that some of these graduates were previously farmers and fishermen. They now have diversified sources of income since they have livelihood training and have built confidence in engaging in business,” said Director Lucero.

Most of the graduates were also members of Dumaguete Cathedral Credit Cooperative (DCCCO), a partner of the 4Ps in Negros Oriental that provides training such as financial literacy through the Family Development Session (FDS), and are now engaged in small businesses.

The batch of graduating households has 361 previously monitored children that are in school. Some of the children have now graduated and are working professionally in their chosen fields.

Because of the program, it was observed that there was a significant change from a high incidence of dropouts to children attending school in the province.

“Ang mga pamilya padayun nagsupport sa mga anak aron mahimong professional (The families continually support their children to become professionals),” said Director Lucero.

Among those graduates were families that now owned vehicles, stalls, plantations, and wide farmland, while some members have occupied barangay posts, become presidents of associations, become employees of government offices, and become overseas Filipino workers, teachers, police officers, and seafarers.

“Kini nagmatuod lamang nga ang kalampusan sa programa, makita pinaagi sa na-achieve sa mga graduates (These are manifestation that the success of the program can be seen through the achievement of the graduates) ,” she added.

In his keynote message, DSWD Undersecretary for Operations Jerico Francis Javier congratulated the 4Ps graduates for their families’ improved well-being through the program’s intervention.

He also cited the convergence efforts of the different national government agencies, local government units, and civil society organizations in alleviating the quality of life of 4Ps partner-beneficiaries.

DSWD officials led by Undersecretary Jerico Francis Javier, DSWD-7 Regional Director Shalaine Marie Lucero, and 4Ps National Program Manager Gemma B. Gabuya gave the “sertipiko ng pagkilala” to the 4Ps graduates and certificates of appreciation to the different partners during the Saulog Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program Ceremonial Graduation and Partnership Summit. ###

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