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As the opening of classes for school year 2019-2020 is nearing, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Central Visayas launches its advocacy campaign on “Bata Balik Eskwela.”

Pantawid Pamilya Information Officer Kerwin Macopia discusses to DSWD-7 staff the Bata Balik Eskwela Campaign and encourages them to actively engage in this collective effort through provision of school supplies to some Pantawid Pamilya children.

The Pantawid Pamilya children are one of the stakeholders of the program and are responsible in complying with one of the main conditions of 4Ps, which is to attend school every school year.

The 4Ps is a human development program of the national government that invests in the health and education of poor households, particularly of children aged 0-18 years old.

The program however, recognizes that there are children who have difficulty continuing their study for various reasons that needed to be addressed. The recently launched Pantawid Pamilya’s Bata Balik Eskwela campaign aims to remind the children beneficiaries to enroll back to school so that they will fully utilize the program benefits. This campaign also seeks to inculcate in the minds of the children the importance and value of education in their lives and future.

“Through this campaign, DSWD would like to bring back to school the 4Ps children especially those who stopped going to school,” said DSWD-7 Regional Director Rebecca Geamala.

As part of this effort to encourage children to enroll back to school, school supplies and materials will be distributed to the returning students from various provinces of Central Visayas region in partnership with the Department of Education (DepEd).

“In coordination with the DepEd during the Brigada Eskwela, DSWD installed the Pantawid Pamilya help desk to encourage the parents and their children to enroll in the incoming school year,” added Dir. Geamala.

Geamala said that part of the DSWD intervention is the house visitation to 4Ps families whose children failed to attend classes in the previous school year.

During the home visit, the Pantawid City and Municipal Link would talk to the parents and their children to identify issues and barriers that prevent them from attending school and complying with the condition on education.

“Once issues are identified, the Pantawid worker would discuss it with the concerned partner-beneficiary especially the child/children. It is hoped that through this effort, children are motivated to continue going to school and comply with the agreements reached during the home visit,” said Dir. Geamala.

“Through the program, the DSWD has given these poor children and their families a chance to a better future so it is really important that they should continue and finish their education,” she added.

A DSWD-7 staff puts a bundle of pencils into the donation box for school supplies which will be distributed to the returning 4Ps children in the opening of classes for school year 2019-2020. This is in support of the Department’s advocacy campaign on Bata Balik Eskwela in partnership with the Department of Education (DepEd).

The department seeks possible provisions of school supplies from private individuals, groups, institutions/organizations and partner Civil Society Organizations (CSO) interested to get involved in this effort to bring Pantawid Pamilya children back to school and help them continue pursuing their education.

Currently, the DSWD-7 already received some school supplies and other goods from Personal Collections and Avon Incorporated.

The Department looks forward to accepting provisions of school supplies from various groups and individuals up to May 31, 2019 which will be distributed in June during the opening of classes for school year 2019-2020.

Interested sponsors may reach Ms. Charo M. Monte de Ramos, Institutional Partnership Development Officer – CSO, through this contact number 0967-3254338. ###

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