The collaboration between the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office 7 and the Municipal Government of Dalaguete in implementing the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) is one of the cornerstones of social development in the municipality. This partnership reflects a shared commitment to uplift the lives of poor and vulnerable families to create a positive change towards self-sufficiency.

The partnership between DSWD and the local government unit (LGU) Dalaguete for the implementation of 4Ps was formalized through the signing of Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) on March 23, 2012, solidifying the commitment to work together for the betterment of the more than 3,000 identified 4Ps households in the municipality.

The commitment and dedication of LGU Dalaguete through various interventions has resulted in numerous achievements. Various interventions were innovated to uplift the lives of poor families including the Social Integration of the Low and Weak (SILAW) sa Paglaum program or Ray of Hope which supports poor and disadvantaged families to become self-reliant and progressive through scholarship and skills training.

The SILAW sa Paglaum program was formed to help the poor families send their children to school and be given educational assistance like school supplies, scholarship grant, and provision of authorized school contribution. Recipients of this program are poor families including the 4Ps beneficiaries and Listahanan identified poor-families.

The LGU Dalaguete, under the leadership of Mayor Ronald Allan Cesante has provided invaluable support to the program including the mobilization of the LGU resources, logistical support like office space, and provision of workforce through hiring of LGU Link to augment the DSWD staff assigned in Dalaguete.

The Family Development Session (FDS), a vital component of the program, which beneficiaries must attend in a monthly period aims to enhance the knowledge of 4Ps partner-beneficiaries for them to acquire new skills performing their parental roles and responsibilities, particularly on the health and nutrition, education, protection, and psychosocial needs of children; promote positive family values, strengthen marital relationships, and active citizenship for community empowerment. Seeing the importance of FDS, the LGU Dalaguete created a Sangguniang Bayan Resolution No. 15-2015 in support of the conduct of FDS through the creation of the FDS team.

The identified FDS team staff underwent a capability building facilitated by the FDS focal person which aimed to enhance their skills and capabilities as subject matter experts.

The LGU Dalaguete also provided transportation allowance to ensure they could travel to the designated venues for the conduct of the monthly session.

To facilitate a smooth implementation of the FDS, a staff locator and fixed schedule was established. This system helped specific team members to be assigned in different venues, ensuring that all target barangays are covered. The FDS team members also diligently keeps a record book that documents the attendance of the 4Ps beneficiaries during the scheduled session.

The various FDS topics were also translated to Cebuano language to ensure the content would be more accessible and understandable for all 4Ps partner-beneficiaries.

On top of the transportation allowance, the FDS team members are also provided with benefits including SSS, PhilHealth, and PAG-IBIG, along with a daily allowance of Php 40.00. The allowance is diligently saved at the Dalaguete Employees Cooperative (DAGEMCO) and serves as a bonus to the FDS team members during May and December payout. These benefits serve an added value to the efforts of the FDS team members who are hired as job order employees under the LGU Dalaguete.

Some 17 4Ps partner-beneficiaries in Dalaguete were also provided decent housing in partnership with Gawad Kalinga. Through this partnership, 4Ps beneficiaries who don’t own a house were prioritized as recipients in which LGU Dalaguete provided the lot while Gawad Kalinga provided the housing materials and built the houses.

After several years of intervention from various national government agencies, civil society organization, and LGU Dalaguete, a total of 434 4Ps partner-beneficiaries achieved high rating on social adequacy and economic sufficiency based on the latest social welfare and development indicators (SWDI) assessment of the DSWD.

These 4Ps partner-beneficiaries were accorded with a celebratory event through the Saulog ceremonial graduation on April 4, 2024. The event was attended by DSWD-7 Regional Director Shalaine Marie Lucero and Municipal Mayor Ronald Allan Cesante with the rest of the LGU local officials.

Prior to the 4Ps Saulog ceremonial graduation, the Municipal Coordination Committee (MCC) discussed strategies for social preparation to exiting 4Ps beneficiaries which includes home visitation to all graduating beneficiaries to assess their needs and possible additional interventions from the government. This demonstrated their proactive approach in ensuring the smooth transition of families as they graduate from the program.

Each 4Ps graduate received a graduation package including t-shirts, a packed lunch, 10 kilograms of rice, and a coconut seedling that serves as a symbolic Tree of Life to signify the new chapter in the lives of the exiting 4Ps beneficiaries. The LGU Dalaguete also refunded the fare of the families residing in low-lying areas and provided transportation services for those in upland barangays.

The various support from the LGU Dalaguete has been instrumental in the success of the implementation of the program in the municipality and paved the way for the upliftment of their well-being and attained self-sufficiency level. ###

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