The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) field office-7 through its Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) Regional Program Management Office and Convergence Office recently conducted an orientation to the enumerators in Bohol on the region-wide Social Welfare and Development Indicator (SWDI) Assessment for the 4Ps partner-beneficiaries. The orientation for Cebu, Negros Oriental, and Siquijor enumerators will follow on the fourth week of September this year.

Mr. Dexter Gimena, regional convergence coordinator, provides an overview of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) during the recent orientation on Social Welfare and Development Indicators (SWDI) Assessment conducted for the enumerators in Bohol. Included in his discussion is also the History and Contextualization of Enhanced SWDI.

The SWDI is a tool used to assess the level of well-being of the DSWD’s 4Ps partner-beneficiaries and to monitor their improvement from Survival to Subsistence to Self-sufficiency.

A total of 157 enumerators were hired for region 7 to conduct the house-to-house survey of the Pantawid Pamilya households using the Social Welfare and Development Indicators. DSWD 7 will deploy 62 enumerators in Bohol; 56 in Cebu; 32 in Negros Oriental; and 7 in Siquijor.

During the orientation, the enumerators were taught on the appropriate filling-out of the SWDI General Intake Sheet through a simulation. They were also discussed with the SWDI Toolkit’s major component, enhanced scoring guide and the General Intake Sheet.

For region 7, a total of 270,912 active Pantawid partner-beneficiaries will undergo the SWDI assessment, which already started in August this year by the City/Municipal Action Team.

The target date of completing the SWDI assessment for the entire region-7 is on the second week of December 2019.

The SWDI uses the qualitative and quantitative approaches and the advanced data capture technology (i.e. tablet devices) to reduce the time lag between the data collection and analysis and to reduce the number of coding errors.

The generated result of the assessment will serve as reference for the planning of possible interventions by the DSWD or other concerned government units to the partner-beneficiaries to further help them improve their level of well-being. ###

A seventh-grade boy from Cordova, Cebu was declared this year’s regional winner for the Search for Exemplary Pantawid Pamilya Children.

Jhon Rhod C. Amodia, 12 years old from Barangay Gabi, Cordova bested other three provincial winners, Cleia Tadena of Duero, Bohol in second place; Shame Lagos of Zamboanguita, Negros Oriental in third place and Kathleen Chen Pastrana of Maria, Siquijor in fourth place. They will be recognized during the 5th Panaghiusa Festival in October and will attend the National Children’s Congress (NCC) in November in Metro Manila.

Jhon Rhod Amodia showcases his talent during the Provincial Search for Exemplary Pantawid Pamilya Children awarding ceremony held in Cebu City last August.

The judging process was based on the following criteria: Behavior and Practice (20%), Awareness, Advocacy and Talent (25%), Intelligence and Wit (25%), Community and School Participation (20%) and Aptitude and Appearance (10%).

Jhon Rhod’s father, Teodulfo, is a construction worker while his mother, Jonalyn, is a housewife and manages her own sari-sari store and sells food in the neighborhood to augment the family’s income.

Growing up in a Christian home, Jhon Rhod always goes to their church with his parents. At two years old, he was already exposed to the musical instruments in his church. One Sunday, after the worship, the little boy gathered their cookware such as pots and plates and used it as drums.

Their church pastor discovered his potential and bought him toy drum set, which started Jhon Rhod’s passion for music. He has developed a bond with drums and the relationship has grown and evolved over the years. He eventually fell in love with music.

Currently, he plays various musical instruments like piano, guitar, drum and ukulele owned by their church.

“My talent is a gift from God and I must use it to serve him. This talent of mine is to express my love to Jesus not just to impress people,” he said in dialect.

His favorite worship song is 10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord) “Sing like never before, Oh my soul, I’ll worship Your Holy name.”

He believes in the power of prayer and said that through God, his father Teodulfo became a Christian.  Upon knowing God, his father stopped his vices and has turned into a responsible provider to his family.

There are times that Jhon Rhod would share to his classmates what he learned in the church and that earned him the moniker the “Little Pastor”. Jhon Rhod also never forgets to pray every morning after waking up and before sleeping at night. He prays when he eats, goes to school and feels uncertain of things around him.

Known for his good leadership, he was elected as the President of the Supreme Pupil Government in his school. He attended seminars and takes a strong standpoint against drugs, cyber pornography, child abuse and bullying and he shares these learnings to his fellow pupils and friends in their community.

With the government’s assistance through the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, Jhon Rhod hopes to finish his studies and get a college degree.

“Ang pageskwela importante para makab-ot ang mga pangandoy sa kinabuhi (Education is important for us to achieve our goals in life),” said Jhon Rhod, who dreams of becoming a doctor someday. ###

As early as 5 o’clock in the morning, Francisco Elardo, is already tending his plants in his backyard garden.

He would see to it that he greets his plants a good morning because he treats them as friends.

“Para nako makatabang ang pagestorya sa mga tanom, dili man sila makatubag apan makatabang kini sa ilang pagtubo (I believe talking to plants can help, even if they could not respond to you but this would help the plants grow healthy),” shares Francisco.

The Elardo family utilizes recycled materials in their organic demo farm in Barangay Taytay, Badian.

In a 1,000 square meter backyard garden that Francisco and his family own in their home in Barangay Taytay, Badian, Cebu, one can see a variety of vegetables like alugbati, eggplant, sweet potato, string beans, pechay, patola and malunggay. The family also have fruit bearing trees like guyabano, papaya, tambis, guava, coconut and avocado.

The Elardo’s love for farming started with their father Francisco Elardo, 46 years old, who once thought of finding his fate beneath the skyscrapers of the city. But later on decided to return to the countryside to till the soil.

Padre de Familia

A college dropout, Francisco worked in a paint factory to feed his family. However, he got sick and he left his work. He returned to his hometown and started farming.

“Nipauli ko sa amoa kuyog akong asawa aron magpaayo sa akong sakit ug didto nako nadesisyonan nga mag farming ko (I came back to my hometown with my wife to recuperate from my illness and there I decided to do farming),” he adds.

And that was when Francisco saw his purpose.

Organic farming advocate

Francisco’s inclination to organic farming started when he attended a seminar on organic farming.

“Nakat-unan nako sa seminar nga dili kinahanglan mogamit og spray nga adunay mga kemikals (I learned from the seminar that there is no need to use chemical spray to plants),” Francisco says matter-of-factly.

Marilou, 42 years old, Francisco’s wife and partner in tending all their farm crops says that as a couple, they help each other in various household chores. Francisco he is more focused on farming while Marilou takes care of the children. Marilou also helps her husband in nurturing the plants.

The couple is blessed with two (2) children, namely: Reese and Christian who also have their own tasks in tending their farm.

Reese, 19 years old, is currently a second year college taking up Bachelor of Education Major in Pre-Elementary and Technical Livelihood Education at the Cebu Technological University (CTU) Moalboal campus and Christian, 14 years old, a grade 9 student of Badian National High School and a monitored child under the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).

Reese uses her creativity in making artistic and colorful design for their plant pots while Christian is a reliable partner to his father in ensuring that the plants are healthy.

Despite the meager income that the family would earn from farming, Francisco believes that it was in farming where he found himself to be of help not only in providing healthy meals for his family but also for other members of their community.

Each member of the family has its own task in tending the demo farm.

“Akong pangandoy gyud nga ma-echo ang organic farming sa akong mga isig-katawo kay mas luwas ni kaysa sa kanang gamitan og synthetic fertilizer. Importante kaayo ni labi na nga ang mga bata dali magkasakit (It has always been my dream to impart my knowledge on organic farming to others because this is safer compared to vegetables sprayed with synthetic fertilizer. This is very important, especially that children are prone to sickness),” Francisco underscores.

In 2013, the family decided to make the backyard garden as a demonstration farm. Since then, many people coming from various institutions like students, government workers and fellow farmers visited it to learn more and see an actual organic farm.

“Miski kapoy, malipay gihapon ko mag-demo sa mga estudyante kay ganahan man sad ko nga mapa-ambit sa lain akong nahibaw-an kabahin sa organic farming (Even if I am tired, I am happy to demonstrate to the students because I love to share what I have learned about organic farming),” explains Francisco.

He added that he will never refuse anyone who would approach him and visit their demo farm to gain knowledge on organic farming.

If there are visitors, Francisco would show to them his plants and then discuss about natural farming system like indigenous microorganism, fermented plant juice and fermented fruit juice inside a make shift classroom made of indigenous materials like bamboo and nipa.

The Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) of the Department of Agriculture (DA) tapped Francisco as one of the resource speakers for organic vegetables farming seminar. In fact, ATI has chosen the Elardo demo farm as one of the learning sites on backyard gardening.

Francisco is also a barangay coordinator of the Farmer Scientist Training Program (FSTP) and at the same time a farmer’s trainer under the Office of Provincial Agriculturist of Cebu province.

The family also raises animals like cow, goats, chicken and maintains a small pond in their organic farm.

“Sa panahon nga wala pay ani, kining mga tilapia maoy among sud-anon (During lean season, these tilapias are our viand),” he says.

“Farming is the backbone of the nation. Sa nagkataas nga populasyon, nagsaka pud ang demand sa pagkaon. Kung kalimtan nato ang farming, unsaon man nato pagpakaon sa mga tawo nga sa pagkaon raba na maggikan ang kusog? (Farming is the backbone of the nation. As the population continues to grow, the demand also increases. If we disregard farming, how would we feed the people? Human strength comes from eating healthy food),” Francisco emphasizes.

“Kung kita tanan mahimong engineer o mosakay og barko, kinsa may mananom sa pagkaon nga atong andamon para sa atong pamilya? Di ra ba na mahilis ang puthaw (If we all become engineers or become seafarers, who will be left to grow the food that we will serve to our families? Steels are inedible),” jokingly says Francisco.

As an advocate of organic farming, he also encourages other Pantawid Pamilya partner-beneficiaries to follow the natural farming system.

The family is also a member of the Taytay Hillyland Farmers Association.

“Kung adunay murequest nga magpatudlo sa pagpananom, andam ug tagana kami nga mupa-ambit sa among kaalam kabahin sa organic farming (If there will be request for lectures or trainings, we are more than willing to share our knowledge about organic farming),” says Francisco.

To the Elardo family, what they have gained is a blessing and is something to be shared to others. It is the family’s advocacy to share it with others to replicate their efforts on organic farming. The family has encouraged their neighbors and other people to produce organic vegetables and fruits which are safe to eat and are not harmful to the environment.

Pantawid Partner-Beneficiary

Before the Elardo family became a Pantawid partner-beneficiary, they already showed determination and hardwork.

According to Francisco, he is grateful when his family became a partner-beneficiary of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program in 2011 because it aided them in providing their children’s education, a basic right of every child.

“Dili ingun nga dili nata magkugi kay naa tay tabang gikan sa gobyerno, so akong gibuhat gidoble pa namo among kakugi. Naa naman pamugas nga gihatag ang Pantawid, ang akong gibuhat ang pagpangita sa sud-an (It does not mean that we stop working hard because there is already an assistance from the government, so what we did is we double our efforts. There is already a rice subsidy of Pantawid, what I do is to provide for our viand),” expresses Francisco.

Marilou agreed on Francisco’s statement, “Miskin wala ang Pantawid maninguha gihapon mapaeskwela ang mga bata kay responsibilidad man kana sa mga ginikanan (Even if there is no Pantawid, we should continue sending our children to school because it is the responsibility of the parents to send their children to school)” enthuses Marilou.

On Parenting

For Francisco and Marilou, parenting is also like taking care of the plants.

Just like plants that need a foundation of good soil to support and nourish their roots, sunlight to produce food via photosynthesis and a sufficient supply of water, children also need to have a good family foundation.

Marilou share that in order to strengthen their family, they never forget to have time for each other. Great meal conversations serve as a good venue for the four of them to discuss what transpired during the day in the school, in the farm, in the home and in the community.

Francisco and Marilou Elardo happily pose together with their two children Reese and Christian in their home in Badian, Cebu.

“Upat raman mi kabuok mao nga open ang among communication ug adunay problema dali namo masolusyonan kay magtinabangay man kami isip usa ka pamilya (We are only four in the family, so we have open communication at home. And if there is a problem we can resolve it immediately because we help each other as one family),” says Francisco.

Francisco understand that Reese and Christian have their own distinct personality and they have their own life to decide.

“Isip ginikanan, ang ato ra man gusto nga maayo ang kaugmaon sa atong mga anak ug kung unsa ilang ambisyon suportaan nato (As parents, we only want what is good for our children’s future and we will support whatever their ambitions are),” adds Francisco.

But Francisco never fails to instill to his children the value of education.

“Dili nako gusto nga maparehas sila nako nga wala makahuman og eskwela. Walay rason nga dili sila makahuman og eskwela labi na nga adunay tabang gikan sa gobyerno (I do not want them to be like me. There is no reason for them not to finish their studies, especially now that there is aid from the government),” ends Francisco. ###

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office VII distributed the school supplies to selected Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) children-beneficiaries for the Bata Balik Eskwela (BBE) advocacy campaign.

Distribution of school supplies to Pantawid Pamilya children-beneficiaries in El Pardo Elementary School, Boljoon, Cebu.

These selected 4Ps children-beneficiaries are those who stopped in the previous school year but enrolled this school year 2019-2020.

A total of 758 4Ps children from different elementary and secondary schools in the cities of Mandaue and Danao and municipalities of Dumanjug, Ronda, Alcantara, Moalboal, Boljoon, Samboan, Alegria, Liloan, Compostela and Daanbantayan.

Selected schools in the provinces of Siquijor and Negros Oriental also received school supplies.

The school supplies were donated by various Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) who are partners in the implementation of 4Ps. These partners are Cebu People’s Multipurpose Cooperative, Personal Collection, Inc., Dumaguete Cathedral Credit Cooperative Multipurpose Cooperative, Cebuana Lhuillier Foundation, Inc. and the Dolores Aboitiz Children’s Fund of the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc.

The DSWD Field Office VII’s Social Welfare Employees Credit Cooperative (SWECC) and DSWD Field Office VII employees also donated various school supplies like notebooks and ball pens.

A total of 486 4Ps children-beneficiaries in three barangays in Cebu City namely; Mambaling, Tejero and Lahug received biscuits donated by the ABS-CBN Bantay Bata Foundation.

The 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.

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. ###

For a single father who goes out to sea to harvest crabs from traps, Sammy Talingting starts his day as early as 3 in the morning.  He has to prepare breakfast for his three children before he sends them to school so he can go out to sea.

Sammy Talingting tells his journey as a solo parent. The photo was taken at his house in Brgy. Punta Engaño, Lapu-Lapu City.

His daily routine started since 2011 when his common-law wife, Nena (not her real name) had to leave him and his children in 2011. Nena needed to get out of Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu for security reasons and believed it was the only option left to keep her alive.

Until two years later he discovered of Nena’s pregnancy by another man. Sammy accepted that Nena has already a life of her own but both agreed to maintain communication for the sake of their children.

However complicated the responsibility of being a single parent is, Sammy decided to move forward for his children. He regained confidence when his family was identified as Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) partner-beneficiary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

The Talingtings are among the 6,000 4Ps partner-beneficiaries in Lapu-Lapu City. He is also leader of 31 among the 270 household-beneficiaries and became chairman of the federation of Pantawid parent leaders in Barangay Punta Engaño.

As a father, Sammy aspires for his children to have college diploma – an achievement he never had the chance to acquire because his parents did not have the capacity to support his education.

He recalls being assigned to take care of his younger siblings rather than being sent to school. His father is often out at sea to catch fish in order to make a living while his mother helps by selling the fishcatch.

“Ako ma’y gihimong babaye sa among pagpuyo kay ako man ang gipabantay sa akong mga manghud (I was made to perform female related task because I was the one who took care of my younger siblings),” Sammy recalls with teary eyes.

Sammy helped his father earn a living at an early age of 9 so he can have a little money for his school needs. His parents did not allow him at first but after seeing Sammy’s determination, his father allowed him to help in fishing after school classes.

He also remembers coming home from school with only about a square-inch of scorched rice at times when rough seas made fishing impossible. With teary eyes he recalls he would ask himself “Ngano man kinahanglan nga mahitabo kini sa amo?” (Why is this happening to us?).

This is the kind of situation he did not want to happen to his children. He was bent on seeing to it that there are three square meals on the table every day.

Growing Needs

Because harvest of marine resources is a seasonal means of livelihood being influenced by weather condition, Sammy has to find other sources of income. He has to explore his artistry and creativity by getting part-time work in shells craft production to make both ends meet.

There was not just enough time for Sammy. Because aside from earning a living and doing the household chores, there is still the need to fill-in for the responsibility and loving care of that of a mother.

Aside from his three children, Sam Justin (Grade 11), Sev Adrian (Grade 9) and Schwarts Crist (Grade 7), Sammy still has to take care of his aging parents who lives near his house and have become dependent on the support he and his siblings could give.

Life became tougher as the needs of his children increased. Resourceful as he is, he is confident that his children will not starve. More than just having food, he wanted a better life for his children – a life better than what he had.

He saw a glimmer of hope about having a better education for his children when he started receiving the cash grant from DSWD’s 4Ps in 2011. He found an ally in the program in achieving his aspirations for his children’s future.

Not only did it boost his dreams for his children’s education but it also fuelled his passion for community involvement. He becomes a confidante of his fellow 4Ps beneficiaries and all of them look up to him as their parent leader. He is also active as a Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) officer and finds time in various school activities like school feeding, gardening and cleaning during Brigada Eskwela.

“Ang 4Ps dili lang kini nakatabang sa pagpa-eskwela sa among mga anak, nakatabang pud kini nga madugangan ang among kaalam pinaagi sa Family Development Session (FDS) (The 4Ps did not only help in children’s education but also in adding knowledge to the parents through the FDS),” underscored Sammy.

“Dako gyud ang natabang sa Pantawid sa among pamilya labi na sa pagpaeskwela sa akong mga anak mao nga gihatag naku ang akong serbisyo ug oras sa uban (Pantawid greatly helped our family especially in sending my children to school that is why I devoted my service and time to others),” said Sammy. ###

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office VII has named the 2019 Exemplary Pantawid Pamilya Children top three provincial winners from each four provinces in region 7.

This result was bared after the simultaneous provincial desk validation on July 24, 2019.

The Bohol provincial winner is Cleia Tadena of Duero town while the second and third placers are Danica Resusta of Dagohoy and Angelene Boyore of Ubay, respectively.

The provincial winner of Cebu is Jhon Rhod Amodia from the town of Cordova. Krizia Gullen from Bogo City ranks second while Ken Renzo Garciano from Poro ranks third.

The Negros Oriental provincial winners are the following, Shame Lagos of Zamboanguita, first place; Niña Mae Acabal of Manjuyod, second place and Deni Anne Margaret Mallarez of Dauin, third place.

Siquijor’s provincial winners include Kathleen Chen Pastrana of Maria, first place; Aloha Balwit of San Juan second place and Mairyll Loraine Arapoc of Enrique Villanueva, third place.

“As one of the stakeholders of Pantawid Pamilya, the children-beneficiaries play an important role in fulfilling the education and health outcomes of the program. Indeed, the stories of our Exemplary Pantawid Pamilya provincial winners are truly inspirational and worthy of emulation by other children-beneficiaries,” said DSWD-7 Regional Director Rebecca Geamala

“These children are addition to our pool of local ambassadors who can promote children’s rights specifically on health and education,” Director Geamala added.

The search aims to recognize Pantawid Pamilya children-beneficiaries who serve as excellent examples in their households, schools and communities. It also aims to encourage children to be active citizens by complying with the conditions of the program.

The provincial winners will receive a cash prize and a certificate of recognition during the provincial awarding ceremony this August.

Representatives from national government agencies like DOH, DepEd and DILG, provincial government of Bohol, Cebu, Negros Oriental and Siquijor and partner civil society organizations (CSOs) served as judges during the provincial search.

The provincial first placers will compete in the regional level search. ###

“Growing up, I experienced the hardships of life. However, I still considered myself lucky enough for having eaten meals three times a day together with my family. Sharing the same thought as others, who grew up in a less fortunate family, I firmly consider education as the only legacy my parents could give me. So, with the hope of getting my family out of poverty, I studied diligently,” said Joan Grace Ewican, 18 years old, from Barangay Alegria, Carmen, Bohol.

“Sa una ang akong balon kay 5 pesos ra kada adlaw. Ug ang akong school uniform kay hand-me-down gikan sa akong mga magulang kay ako man ang kinamanghuran (Before, I had only Php 5 for allowance. Being the youngest, I had to wear hand-me-down school uniform from my elder sister),” added Joan. She also disclosed that she had to walk one kilometer every day from their home to her elementary school.

Joan Grace is flanked by her parents, Genaro and Norma Ewican, during her Senior High School graduation.

According to Joan, sending children to high school and college at the same time, is like passing through the hole of a needle.

“My parents’ burden became heavier when my brother went to college. But God has been so good to us. The government has implemented the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) of the DSWD to hand in cash grant to financially challenged families like us,” said Joan.

To somehow help her parents in addressing their financial needs, Joan applied for the Local Government Unit (LGU) scholarship when she entered high school.

Joan recognizes the help of 4Ps in sending them to school and for providing other opportunities like the 2014 National Search for Huwarang Pamilya where her family emerged as second runner-up.

She also represented Central Visayas region and placed fourth runner-up in the 2014 National Search for Exemplary Pantawid Pamilya Children.

“Nindot to nga experience nga naka-adto ko sa Manila aron pag-attend sa National Children’s Congress ug nahimamat ang uban pang mga bata (Going to Manila to attend the National Children’s Congress and met other children is a worthwhile experience),” said Joan.

When she moved up to senior high school, Joan enrolled in Eugenio V. Amores Memorial High School located in the nearby town of Sagbayan.

Tragedy struck the Ewican family when Joan’s elder sister, Jennifer died due to a motor accident in Batuan town in December 2015.

“Dili ra siya naku sister pero best friend pud naku siya ug dako ang impact to nga panghitabo sa akong kinabuhi. Sugod ato, medyo nausab ko ug pirme naku maghuna-huna og negative. Pero salamat sa Diyos, nakabalik raku sa sakto nga disposisyon sa kinabuhi (She was not just a big sister to me but she was my best friend. That incident had a big impact on my life. I became pessimistic in looking at things. But thank God, I have recovered my usual happy disposition),” recalled Joan.

For Joan, success is like a rainbow; it can only be seen after the rain.

“Yes, I experienced failures and sunk at the bottom while chasing my dreams but I never gave up. I survived my senior high school journey. Receiving the most precious token, my diploma during graduation, is already a big achievement. Being the class valedictorian is a bonus,” added Joan.

The fruits of Joan’s labor, her school medals.

Joan’s graduation from senior high school on April 5, 2019 marked the end of her journey with the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program.

“Our family is forever grateful of this government program. I hope that the government will continue to help more less fortunate families and bring hope in them. This seemingly endless poverty in our country will come to its end someday if we invest for the children’s future,” shared Joan.

“Now, I am a step closer to my dreams. I may fail several times but I will surely stand up again even stronger,” ended Joan.

Joan is currently enrolled at Bohol Island State University (BISU) in Bilar Campus taking up agricultural engineering. ###

Various Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) who are partners in the implementation of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) heed the call of the Department of Social Welfare and Development Field Office VII (DSWD) in seeking the provisions of school supplies for the Bata Balik Eskwela advocacy campaign.

Representatives from Cebuana Lhuillier Foundation, Inc. (second and third from right) flanked by DSWD-7 employees donate school supplies for the Pantawid Pamilya’s Bata Balik Eskwela advocacy campaign.

Among those partner CSOs are Cebu People’s Multipurpose Cooperative which donated crayons, notebooks and bath soaps; Personal Collection, Inc. gave notebooks, ballpens, soaps and baby wash; Dumaguete Cathedral Credit Cooperative Multipurpose Cooperative provided 50 sets of notebooks; and Cebuana Lhuillier Foundation, Inc. donated various school supplies worth Php 5,000.00.

The Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, Inc. also donated bags with school supplies while the ABS-CBN Bantay Bata Foundation gave 150 boxes of biscuits.

The DSWD Field Office VII’s Social Welfare Employees Credit Cooperative (SWECC) donated 200 notebooks and 200 ball pens.

DSWD Field Office VII employees also placed their donations of school supplies such as ballpens, pencils, notebook, pad papers, sharpeners, rulers, and scissors in the donation box located in the regional office.

The school supplies will be given to those 4Ps school children who stopped but enrolled this school year 2019-2020.

“We are thankful for the various school supplies that we received from our partner CSOs and within our DSWD-7 family. This will help a lot in our united effort in bringing Pantawid Pamilya children back to school and help them continue pursuing their education,” said DSWD-7 Regional Director Rebecca Geamala.

The 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.

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.

“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,” Geamala added. ###