By Jose Cielito Reganit
MANILA – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has reached another milestone in alleviating the cycle of intergenerational poverty, as more than 1.6 million Filipino families have graduated from the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).
“Throughout its almost 18 years of implementation, the 4Ps has helped over 1.6 million families to rise from poverty. This achievement serves as a testament to the government’s commitment to support poor Filipino families to attain self-sufficiency and end the intergenerational cycle of poverty,” DSWD spokesperson Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao said in a news release on Monday.
The Marcos administration, which has set a target of a single-digit poverty incidence by 2028, has ordered a whole-of-government approach to eradicating hunger and intensifying the campaign against poverty.
Dumlao said most of the families that graduated from the 4Ps program were from the Cordillera Administrative Region, with more than 174,000 self-sufficient households, followed by the National Capital Region, with over 141,000; Ilocos Region, with more than 129,000; Calabarzon, with over 127,000; and Central Luzon, with more than 122,000 families.
The 4Ps National Program Management Office (NPMO) assesses its beneficiaries through the Social Welfare and Development Indicator (SWDI), which determines the economic sufficiency and social adequacy of household beneficiaries.
Under the SWDI, households are classified into three well-being levels: survival (Level 1), subsistence (Level 2), and self-sufficient (Level 3).
The program uses the results to pinpoint the interventions needed for families to achieve self-sufficiency.
To help beneficiaries attain the Level 3 status, the program implements the 4Ps Kilos-Unlad Social Case Management Strategy, which enables families to exit the program by managing complex needs, grievances, and compliance issues.
The strategy also taps into the programs and services of other government agencies and private-sector partners to provide essential interventions that will help 4Ps beneficiaries rise from poverty.
“We have been reiterating that the 4Ps is an investment to the future of Filipino families – a conditional cash transfer program that helps low-income household to meet the health and education needs of children. Rather than temporary relief, 4Ps empowers beneficiaries to take charge of their future by building their capacities and empowering them towards long-term development,” Dumlao said.
To celebrate the graduation of household beneficiaries, the 4Ps, in coordination with local government units (LGUs), organizes the “Pugay Tagumpay” graduation and exit ceremonies to recognize their hard work and dedication in attaining self-sufficiency.
During the activity, 4Ps graduates receive their “Sertipiko ng Pagkilala” (certificate of recognition) as proof of their improved well-being.
The case folders for graduating beneficiaries are also endorsed to their respective LGUs to guarantee continued support and help them sustain the progress they have achieved.
“The DSWD remains dedicated to sustaining long-term program gains through continuous collaboration with government agencies, LGUs, private partners, and beneficiaries. This initiative is the department’s contribution to realizing the Marcos administration’s mandate of reducing poverty incidence to single digit before the end of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s term,” Dumlao said. (PNA)
