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The Pantawid Pamilya Expanded Regional Advisory Council (ERAC) will integrate the Youth Development Session (YDS) in schools to support the Pantawid and non-Pantawid youths to achieve holistic and optimal adolescent development.

The YDS is a convergence effort led by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) through the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) for junior and senior high school students to address the challenges faced by Filipino adolescents.

Seven Regional Directors from different partner national government agencies signed the resolutions to approve the Guidelines for Implementing Youth Development Sessions (YDS) and Creation of YDS Executive Committee during the 4Ps Expanded Regional Advisory Council Meeting (ERAC). The seven Regional Directors present were PBGen Ronnie S. Montejo of PNP PRO 7, Atty. Andrew A. Bido of TESDA 7, Dir. Salustiano T. Jimenez of DepEd 7, Atty. Resty C. Osias of DAR 7, Dir. Rebecca P. Geamala of DSWD 7, Atty. Salvador D. Diputado of DA, and Levi S. Ortiz of PDEA.

Jiah Sayson, Pantawid Pamilya regional program coordinator, committed the implementation of YDS as one of the strategies in reducing the school dropout of Pantawid children and decreasing the number of children not attending school (NAS).

“Aside from Bata Balik Eskwela (BBE) campaigns, we will implement the YDS to help the 4Ps households comply with the program conditionality, especially on education,” said Sayson.

The YDS attendance is not a conditionality tied with the education grant. However, the monthly YDS is an additional service of the 4Ps for high school students.

The YDS anchors on 4Ps, a human development investment program, which targets specifically adolescent development from self to family, peers, and community.

The YDS includes topics that deal with adolescent dynamics, sexuality, career skills, and other things that will help mold the person to become better in the family and community.

The sessions hope to address teenage pregnancy, reproductive health, peer pressure, dangerous drugs, pornography, decision-making, and other issues that affect youths.

YDS contributes to the goal that all children are in school, eventually graduate, and have gainful employments or businesses to reduce intergenerational poverty.

Pilot areas of implementation include the towns of Compostela, San Remigio, Sogod, Tabogon, Barili, and Liloan in Cebu. The DSWD partners with the Department of Education (DepEd), Commission on Population and Development (POPCOM), Department of Agriculture (DA), National Youth Commission (NYC), World Vision, Jesus Christ the Rock of Refuge Foundation Inc., Local Government Units, and other partners.

Regional directors of seven (7) partner national government agencies signed resolutions for the YDS implementation and creation of the YDS Executive Committee during the 4Ps ERAC meeting on 10 September 2021, Cebu Parklane International Hotel, Cebu City.

The seven Regional Directors present were PBGen Ronnie S. Montejo of Philippine National Police PRO 7, Atty. Andrew A. Bido of Technical Education and Skills Development Authority 7, Dir. Salustiano T. Jimenez of Department of Education 7, Atty. Resty C. Osias of Department of Agrarian Reform 7, Dir. Rebecca P. Geamala of Department of Social Welfare and Development 7, Atty. Salvador D. Diputado of Department of Agriculture 7, and Dir. Levi S. Ortiz of Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency 7. ###

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