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. ###

The search is on for the Huwarang Pantawid Pamilya 2019.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development Field Office VII (DSWD) is now looking for new family ambassadors of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).

The search is open to all family-beneficiaries of 4Ps and must consist of a father and/or a mother (solo parent) and child/children.

Nominees must be beneficiaries of the program for at least two years, have good standing in the community with no derogatory records, whose income do not come from gambling, prostitution, child labor, extortion and other similar illegal resources and most importantly 100% compliant to all the conditionalities of the program.

Criteria include strong family ties and harmonious relationship while upholding Filipino values despite the challenges of poverty (25%), family practices and promotes healthy living and environment care (20%), family involvement in community activities (20%), family as inspiration to others in the community (20%) and strives to improve living conditions amidst difficult situation (15%).

The simultaneous provincial search for Bohol, Cebu, Negros Oriental and Siquijor will be on May 29, 2019.

The provincial first placers will compete in the regional level.

All provincial and regional winners will get cash prizes and certificates of recognition.

The winner of the regional search will attend the National Pantawid Pamilya Family Day on September 28-30, 2019 in Metro Manila.

The past Huwarang Pantawid Pamilya regional winners from Central Visayas region made it to the national level namely; the Sederiosa family from Sagbayan, Bohol placed fourth runner-up in 2013, the Ewican family from Carmen, Bohol placed second runner-up in 2014, the Torrentira family from Sagbayan, Bohol placed second runner-up in 2015, the Garay Family from Jagna, Bohol won the title as the grand winner of Huwarang Pantawid Pamilya in 2016, the Catubig family from Maria, Siquijor placed fourth runner-up in 2017 and the Campugan family from Cordova, Cebu placed second runner-up in 2018. ###

A total of 22 Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) couples in the town of Loon, Bohol exchanged vows during a free mass civil wedding on April 30, 2019.

The free mass civil wedding was sponsored by the Municipal Government of Loon through the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office (MSWDO) in partnership with the DSWD-7 staff assigned in the municipality who are the 4Ps Municipal Link (ML) and the Social Welfare Assistant (SWA).

Baltazar Arao and Edesa Ocat pose for a posterity after their civil wedding sponsored by the Municipal Government of Loon.

Among the 22 4Ps couples were Baltazar Arao and Edesa Ocat of Barangay Napo, Loon who had been living together for 19 years.

“Daghan ming nasugatan nga mga problema isip manag-pares pero kung magsinabtanay lang ug adunay gugma sulod sa pamilya, makaya ra gayud ang tanan (We encountered a lot of problems as a couple but as long as there is understanding and love within the family, we can handle it all),” shared Edesa.

Edesa sells fish in the local market while Baltazar is a fisherman.

The couples were also earthquake survivors during the 7.2 magnitude earthquake that struck the island province on October 15, 2013.

“Sama sa linog nga nitay-og sa among balay, ang mga problema ug pagsulay sulod sa pamilya dili gyud malikayan. Mag-away ming duha pero kung kinsa ang nasayup mao ang una nga mangayo pasaylo aron dili na kini mudako pa (Like the earthquake that shook our house, the problems and trials in the family could not be avoided. We fight each other but whoever is at fault should take the first step to ask forgiveness so that it will not grow big),” added Edesa.

They have encountered the common problems like any other ordinary couple has encountered especially in handling finances.

“Tungod pud sa Family Development Session (FDS) sa Pantawid nakakat-un sad mi og mga pagtulon-an kung unsaon pagdala sa pamilya labi na nga gapadako mi og lima ka mga anak (Because of the Family Development Session (FDS) of Pantawid, we learned many lessons on how to handle a family especially that we are raising our five children),” she said.

The first three children are monitored under 4Ps namely, Kaye April (17 years old), Kyla Arianne (15 years old), Kepler Adrianne (14 years old) and the two youngest children are, Keannan Angelo (8 years old) and Karl Anthony (5 years old).

Baltazar constantly advises his children to prioritize their studies.

“Kung makakita sila sa ilang pares puhon, piliun nila ang adunay maayung pamatasan ug respetuhon sila (If ever they will find their partner someday they should choose someone who have good values and will respect them),” said Baltazar.

Baltazar and Edesa are hoping that they will soon have their church wedding. ###

While life never ceases to offer inevitable challenges, Ma. Casandra C. Acab, a daughter of a Pantawid partner-beneficiary, has also constantly kept an indomitable fighting chi to combat all these that have tried to hamper her way in sailing through her studies, fulfilling not just her dream but her mother’s too.

Casandra, the fourth child among the eight siblings in the family, hails from Manjuyod, Negros Oriental whose mother, Mary Ann, is a housewife and father, Rene, is an all-around worker who roughly earns Php 200 every day.

A daughter of a Pantawid partner-beneficiary in Manjuyod, Negros Oriental, Ma. Casandra C. Acab happily poses for a photo op after receiving her diploma and medal for academic excellence award.

Eager to help in sustaining their family needs and be able to buy school supplies, the young Casandra, together with her other siblings used to scavenge for tin cans and would trade them for Php 15 per kilo every weekend.

Despite the circumstances of sometimes having to skip classes as she had to take over her mother in looking after her younger siblings every time Mary Ann gets sick or had to ran other important errands, Casandra still managed to cope up with her absences and has graduated as 2nd Honorable Mention in her elementary years in school.

“There was even a time when I had to attend a school competition but was asked by my mother to stay in the house and baby sit my younger siblings instead, as she was feeling under the weather again. Not wanting to skip the competition, what I did was, I woke up early and prepared everything for my younger siblings and for my mother. Then, I immediately rushed to the testing site and notwithstanding my late entrance, I was glad to have finished fourth still,” Casandra amusingly narrated.

Anchored on the belief that education opens door to limitless opportunities and not wanting to live a struggling life forever, she worked as a help of her former teacher’s sister-in-law for a year to be able to continue pursuing her studies and eventually graduated as the class Valedictorian at Manjuyod National High School.

“Before our family became a Pantawid beneficiary, I could hardly comply with the school projects because we didn’t have extra money. If wala pa mi naapil sa Pantawid, pareha ra siguro gihapon mi pag elementary nako nga dili makapalit og sapatos ug papel, (If we had not been in Pantawid, we would still have the same hitches when I was in elementary, incapable of buying shoes and school supplies),” said Casandra.

Despite the criticism she heard from other people on how incompetent they see her to enroll in prestigious schools like Silliman University, as they thought that she only fits in public universities or colleges, she enrolled in Silliman University in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental and pursued Bachelor in Secondary Education Major in English.

Graduating as valedictorian, she was granted with the Portal Scholarship in Silliman which covers 75% of her tuition fee given that she will work 200 hours per semester with wage and maintain an average grade of 2.8 equivalent to 88% every academic year. The Portal Scholarship however was not enough to cover her entire school fees, so instead of settling with an average of 2.8 every semester, she strived to successfully maintain a 3.25 average equivalent to 93% and enjoy the Academic Grant for honor students covering her remaining tuition fee.

Attending her classes as early as 7:00 in the morning up to 10:00 am and reporting to her assigned department to work from 12 noon to 9:00 in the evening have drained Casandra physically and mentally for a lot of times, bringing her almost on the brink of giving up.

Casandra’s parent’s nevertheless, especially her mother, who has dreamt of finishing college but has failed to do so, have been a very good support system to her and have been her inspiration to always keep going and stop at nothing.

“Naay mga times nga kanang gikapoy nako, pero akong gihunahuna nga kung gikapoy ko mas gikapoy siguro ang nagpa-eskuwela nako. Dili sad ko ganahan nga pirme lang mi ingon ani nga naglisud, mao nga naningkamot gyud ko (For a lot of times that I felt tired I always thought that the people who are supporting my studies probably feel more tired than me too. I also do not want to live like this forever, struggling. That is why I really worked hard),” she emotionally expressed.

Casandra worked beyond the required hours (200 hrs) of her scholarship to withdraw extra wages that has covered her daily allowance but has managed to still maintain a 3.25 academic average. She was also grateful of the support of her elder sister who is already working especially when she worked on her thesis.

On March 2018, Cassandra graduated as a Cum Laude, bringing pride to her family and proving to the people that everything is possible with full tenacity and vibrant aspiration to succeed and that she is capable of fitting in wherever.

“Education for me is a life’s trophy. A lot of opportunities will be opened or are open for you if you have a diploma. Others may see this educational achievement as a minor thing, but this for me is already a significant milestone. Success doesn’t have to be big to be called one. I have done all my best on this and I am more than happy to fulfill not just my dream, but my mother’s too,” Casandra gleefully said

She was overjoyed as she watched her parents get emotional when they come up on stage to proudly hang her academic medal around her neck which she considers as one of the beautiful highlights of her life.  With all the learnings she acquired in life, it is not the ones she got from school that she values the most but, the lesson she got while she went into overdrive, which is to never look at challenges negatively, but to look at the beauty of negative things that would help a person go all-out to transform them into positive ones.

When asked what message she has for other youth who are struggling but has the burning desire to also succeed, she said “Ilahang prayer ug paningkamot dapat mag-uban gyud. Ang paningkamot dili igo kung wala kay pag-ampo, Siguro kung wala sad nako hugti akong pag-ampo dili ko maka-graduate (Their prayer and effort should always go together. Effort is not enough without prayer. Had I not prayed hard, I think I would not be able to graduate).”

Now, apart from helping her parents establish a small business and sending her other siblings in school, one of her plans also is to connect with other people, touch more lives and inspire them through her chosen profession as she is to start a new career at Saint Mary’s Academy in San Nicolas, Cebu City. ###

Life is like a roller coaster ride. There are ups; there are downs. One may experience a mixed of emotions but keeping a good grip is essential. A good example of this is Paulo Torino’s story.

Born from parents who are farmers in Barangay Sohoton, Badian in midwest Cebu, the young Paulo dreamt of finishing his education no matter what it takes.

Paulo in his college graduation photo.

“Masakiton man ko niadtong bata paku mao nga lisud sa akoa nga motrabaho og bug-at nga mga trabahuon (I was sickly when I was growing up so it was difficult for me to do hard work),” revealed Paulo as his health was one of his reasons to aim high.

“At a young age I realized that having a good education can lead me to have good employment opportunities which will be my bread and butter for the family,” said Paulo.

“Gahuna-huna ko ato unsaon naku pagkab-ot sa akong mga damgo nga daghan man kaming gipaeskwela sa akong mga ginikanan (I thought of how would I achieve my dreams since all of us were sent to school by our parents),” said the fifth child among the nine children of Mr. and Mrs. Pablo Torino.

“To dream is simple but fulfilling a dream is difficult especially if you do not have the resources,” added Paulo.

But his parents’ desire for their future has inspired him and his siblings to achieve their goals.

“My parents have done their best because they do not want us to suffer and experience the same hardship they had experienced before because of lack of education,” said Paulo.

“However, like a roller coaster, it was not a smooth sailing ride. I even stopped elementary for a year before I started my secondary education because of financial constraint,” shared Paulo.

He shared that when he was still young, he was also stubborn and most of the time he would cause trouble to his parents.

“But I realized I have to pull myself together and act rationally in order to achieve my dreams in life,” underscored Paulo.

Paulo recalled he had to sell biscuits and snacks to his classmates so that he can buy new shoes, slippers and support his other educational needs.

According to Paulo it is not the status that defines the person it is how he was able to stand and face the reality in his life. “It is the same boiling water which softens a potato that hardens the egg” and I believe it is always you and not others who will write your own destiny,” Paulo who finished his secondary education and graduated with an Honorable Mention, proudly shared the saying.

In order to save money for his college education, Paulo worked as a bartender in a restaurant in Cebu City for more than two years.

“Nag-ampo gyud ko og maayo nga matagaan ko og chance nga makaeswela og college (I really prayed hard to God asking for a chance to pursue my college education),” said Paulo.

On November 3, 2013, the heaven had heard his fervent prayer when a parent leader of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) went to see his family and asked him if he is willing to be a scholar of the Expanded Students Grants-in-Aide Program for Poverty Alleviation (ESGP-PA). Two of his younger siblings, Mary Ann and Judy Ann are monitored children of 4Ps, they are incoming Grade 8 and Grade 7, respectively.

The ESGP-PA is implemented by the Commission on Higher Education together with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) through the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino program (4Ps), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and State Universities and Colleges (SUCs).

“Ecstatic as I was, I told myself that this is the opportunity that I have been waiting for. So, I asked permission from my employer for an additional vacation leave so that I can attend the ESGP-PA orientation by the 4Ps Municipal Link in Badian,” happily recalled Paulo.

But it took a while before he got an update as to the status of the ESGP-PA and he had to continue with his job.

“I thought ESGP-PA was false hope but God has its own mysterious way,” he said.

Paulo received a call from one of the 4Ps Municipal Links in Badian urging him to prepare for an entrance exam and was instructed to take the exam at the Cebu Normal University (CNU).

He took the entrance exam at CNU on April 10, 2014.

That same day he informed his employer about his plan of resigning from the restaurant because he was planning to continue his studies. His employer agreed with him.

“The waiting for the entrance exam result was exhausting and at the same time trembling and by the time that I was informed that I passed the entrance exam, I told to myself that this is it and I can start all over again,” said the teary-eyed Paulo.

While studying up Bachelor in Elementary Education – Early Childhood Education at CNU as an ESGP-PA scholar, he already had his own savings and a few swine which helped him in his school expenses. He even received a separation pay from his former job and at the same time received an allowance that the ESGP-PA had provided.

During his third year in college, family problems started to affect his studies.

“Na-ospital akong pag-umangkon for almost one month ug na-admit diri sa syudad. Lisod to nga time kay loaded sad ko sa akong pag-eskwela ug kinahanglan mutabang sad ko sa pagbantay didto sa hospital kuyog akong mga ginikanan (My niece was admitted in a hospital here in the city for almost one month. It was a difficult time because I was also loaded in my studies and I need to assist in her medical needs together with my parents),” recalled Paulo.

“If it was not for my determination and perseverance, I would have chosen to stop, but this is the opportunity that I prayed to God and I would not waste this opportunity. I also know that God will not give us challenges if it is beyond us,”

And on March 2018, Paulo graduated with flying colors.

“Throughout the years the obstacles had played a great role in my life and made me the person that I am today. I am always thankful to my family, friends, classmates and professors who guided and molded me to become a better individual,” underscored Paulo.

Paulo started his career after college as an Unconditional Cash Transfer (UCT) validator of the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Listahanan.

Currently, he works as a Social Welfare Assistant (SWA) of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) in Bogo City, Cebu.

“This is my way of paying it forward for the blessing that the Department had given me and for all the people who made 4Ps possible,” said Paulo.

“The program was instrumental in achieving my college degree and in earning my license as a teacher,” he said beaming with a smile.

For Paulo, every ups and down in the roller coaster ride had been a blessing in disguise and he is excited to start another journey and another ride called life. ###

The Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) parent leaders in the town of Jagna, Bohol attended the Social Health Insurance Education Series (SHInES) campaign of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation’s (PhilHealth) held last April 2, 2019.

4Ps Parent Leaders of Jagna town listen to the discussion of the National Health Insurance Program (NHIP).

Parent Leaders joined the half-day activity together with the Municipal Health Officer (MHO), the staff from the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office (MSWDO) and the Pantawid Pamilya Municipal Links (MLs).

“We tapped you for the campaign because you will play crucial roles in the information dissemination,” said PhilHealth Regional Vice-President Lourdes Diocson during her welcome remarks.

“You will now be our advocate and we hope you will share the information to your co-4Ps beneficiaries,” said Diocson.

The participants were thoroughly oriented on the various aspects of the National Health Insurance Program (NHIP) like its history, membership registration, payment of premium contributions, benefits and among others.

“Naa nako idea kabahin sa PhilHealth labi kay ang mga 4Ps beneficiaries maka-avail man sa No Balance Billing pero tungod aning activity mas napun-an pa akong kahibalo karun kay natubag ug naklaro ang akong mga pangutana (I already have an idea about PhilHealth especially that 4Ps beneficiaries can avail of the No Balance Billing but through this activity, I have gained more information which answered all my questions),” said Marissa Garay, a 4Ps parent leader from Brgy, Can-upao, Jagna.

The No Balance Billing (NBB) policy enables the vulnerable sectors like the 4Ps beneficiaries to pay no more in excess of their PhilHealth coverage when confined in government facilities. Popularly known as “Walang Dagdag Bayad”, the NBB sets as a condition that no direct medical expense shall be obtained from the patient for the duration of the confinement, which in effect makes treatment and care entirely free for the beneficiaries.

The SHInES campaign will also be conducted in other towns in Bohol targeting 4Ps parent leaders to become advocates.

Pantawid Pamilya is a human development program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) that invests in the health and education of poor households particularly of children aged 0-18-year-old.

Households are provided with cash grants in exchange of complying with the conditionality of the program. This includes school attendance of at least 85% per month for children enrolled in the elementary or high school. Children aged 5 and below would need to undergo preventive check-up as mandated by the Department of Health (DOH) and children enrolled in the elementary must receive deworming pills twice within the school year. Also, pregnant women must receive pre and post-natal care based on DOH protocol. Lastly, parent/s or guardians are required to attend the monthly Family Development Session (FDS). ###

All of the 132 Local Government Units (LGUs) in Central Visayas region have institutionalized the Family Development Session (FDS).

Pantawid Pamilya partner-beneficiaries of San Fernando, Cebu learn about Fire Safety Awareness through the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) in one of the monthly
Family Development Session (FDS).

“We commend all the LGUs who passed a local policy either an Executive Order or a Sangguniang Bayan resolution in strengthening FDS in their locality,” said DSWD-7 OIC Regional Director Rebecca Geamala.

“Through the local policy, we would be able to utilize and tap various subject matter experts. For example, if the FDS module is about health and nutrition, the right person to discuss is the local nutritionist-dietician, if the topic is about fire prevention, we can call the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) for this and if it is about peace and order in the community, the local police would have the chance to discuss this topic to them,” Geamala added.

The FDS team at the city or municipal level are tasked to function in planning and conducting the FDS like facilitating as resource persons based on the set schedule and crafting or enhancing modules based on the needs of the partner-beneficiaries. The FDS team may be composed of the members of the Local/Municipal Advisory Committee, City/Municipal Action Team, partner Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and other partner stakeholders.

“We further encourage all LGUs to strengthen the FDS team so that we can provide other interventions to our 4Ps partner-beneficiaries. Through the FDS, we can impart to them valuable information which they can use for their family and this will benefit the whole community,” said Geamala.

FDS is the venue for Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) partner-beneficiaries to enhance and acquire new skills and knowledge in responding to their parental roles and responsibilities particularly on health and nutrition, education and psychosocial needs of children; promotion of positive family values; and strengthening marital relationships.

Attending the FDS is one of the conditionalities of Pantawid Pamilya. The FDS employs neighborhood-based family psycho-educational activities to promote, empower and nurture families towards strengthened capacity so they could meet their familial and parental responsibilities as well as participate in community development activities.

The FDS provides a package of learning modules which include; Concepts and Design of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, Responsible Parenthood and The Family and the Community.

Other developed and enhanced modules are on Active Citizenship, Family and Community-based Disaster Preparedness, Hunger and Food Insecurity Mitigation, Child Sexual Abuse Prevention, Positive Discipline and Youth Development Sessions (YDS).

The 4P’s is a program of the national government that invests in the health and education of poor households primarily of children aged 18 and below.

It provides cash grants to compliant household beneficiaries with health grant worth Php 500 and educational grants worth Php 300 and Php 500 each to the children studying in elementary and high school, respectively. The beneficiaries

On its tenth year of implementation, the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) continues to serve its partner-beneficiaries by investing on human capital geared towards the improvement of health and education of poor households.

The program would not have been successfully implemented without the invaluable support from key partner government agencies such as the Department of Health (DoH) and the Department of Education (DepEd) in their contribution in the compliance verification (CV) monitoring process as well as in the policy development.

To celebrate these milestone, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) will recognize the important contribution of partner stakeholders in the program implementation through the recognition of Pantawid Focal Persons.

These partner stakeholders monitor 4Ps partner-beneficiaries in public schools offering K to 12 program (private school not included) and barangay health station, rural health unit or municipal health center.

The criteria for the search are the following: have been serving for 2 or more years, an employee of the DepEd, Local Health Office or Local Government Unit, have no prior issue of quality of data submitted to Pantawid, have a good standing in the community with no derogatory records and have not been convicted of any administrative, criminal, civil case or cases involving moral turpitude.

For Pantawid focal persons who have demonstrated initiatives or innovations that go beyond monitoring of enrolment, attendance and compliance to conditions shall be given a Certificate of Recognition in the regional level and a plaque during the National Pantawid Partnership Summit in May 2019.

After a thorough deliberation in the four provinces, the provincial finalists under Health category are Leonila C. Binlod of Katipunan and La Paz Health Stations, Carmen, Bohol; Evelyn A. Fijo of Estaca and Buenasuerte Health Stations, Pilar, Bohol; Gian Carlo F. Poliquit of Ginatilan Rural Health Unit, Ginatilan, Cebu; Niña Rose D. Bagsit of Moalboal Rural Health Unit, Moalboal, Cebu; Enriqueta S. Alabana of Tambojangin Barangay Health Station, Amlan, Negros Oriental; Gualberta C. Libo-an of La Libertad Rural Health Unit, La Libertad, Negros Oriental; Gloria S. Largo of San Juan Rural Health Unit, San Juan, Siquijor and Nancy Lee S. Orano of Siquijor Rural Health Unit, Siquijor, Siquijor.

Under the Education catergory, the provincial finalists are Ferminia N. Villaruz of Batuan National High School, Batuan, Bohol; Mira Feb M. Salarda of Sierra Bullones Technical Vocational High School, Sierra Bullones, Bohol; Elisa G. Sarabia of Patao National High School, Bantayan, Cebu; Generoso Y. Monterde of Daanbantayan Central Elementary School, Daanbantayan, Cebu; Doris C. Romero of Magsaysay Elementary School, Dauin, Negros Oriental; Rolando S. Roa of Guba National High School, Vallerhermoso, Negros Oriental; Gene T. Gica of Cabulihan Integrated School, Larena, Siquijor and Edna R. Patay of Enrique Villanueva National High School, Enrique Villanueva, Siquijor.

A field validation will be conducted during the regional level to determine who will represent the Central Visayas region in the national search.

The 4Ps is a program of the national government that invests in the health and education of poor households primarily of children aged 18 and below. It is implemented by the DSWD together with DoH and DepEd.

It provides cash grants to compliant household beneficiaries with health grant worth Php 500 and educational grants worth Php 300 and Php 500 each to the children studying in elementary and high school, respectively. The beneficiaries also receive a rice subsidy in the form of cash amounting to Php 600. ###