DUMAGUETE CITY, Negros Oriental (PIA) –The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) here has showcased the exemplary practices and initiatives that have contributed to the success of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) implementation in the province.
DSWD social welfare officer II Dyna Mae Zerna said the province was recognized by DSWD-7 for its good practices in establishing 45 active and functional self-help groups (SHGs) that engaged in savings and loans for the members.
This is to assist and sustain among the grantees who come together to address their common issues and problems in the spirit of mutual support.
The SHG has trained 12 parent leaders to also share their skills and learning to other community members, Zerna said.
“We are proud of this, because the province is one of the pilot areas in the region to have established self-help groups. We practice community organizing because we wanted to make sure that these households na mo exit from the program naa silay group mabalikan, naa silay savings, naa silay access to loans,” Zerna said.
She also reported that DSWD has already re-evaluated over 31,000 4Ps beneficiaries who were identified as non-poor or found to be self-sufficient in a Provincial Convergence Committee meeting on Dec. 3 in Dumaguete City.
The beneficiaries were assessed using the Social Welfare and Development Indicator (SWDI) tool to determine the progress of the 4Ps households by measuring their level of well-being in terms of economic sufficiency and social adequacy.
The provincial DSWD has successfully conducted 16 ceremonial graduation ceremonies for 4Ps beneficiaries who are already at the self-sufficient level.
Zerna highlighted the achievements of the 4Ps graduates for raising exemplary children who are now licensed professionals.
“Nagpasalamat ko’g dako sa 4Ps sa DSWD kay akong lima ka anak kalooy sa Diyos naka tapus jud og eskwela, ang usa tua na gani sa gawas, ang usa naas BJMP, ang usa nag maestra, basta kon wala pa nang 4Ps mapreha jud sila nako wala ka human ug eskwela,” said Erlinda Garlet, 4Ps beneficiary from Barangay Awa-an, Ayungon town.
(I am so grateful for DSWD’s 4Ps because my five children have graduated. In fact, one of them is now abroad, the other one is with BJMP, a teacher. Without 4Ps, they will be unable to complete their studies like me.)
Garlet is now selling fish in the local market.
She just graduated from the program and was one of almost 5,000 graduates in September 2024 held in Dumaguete City.
Currently, more than 70,000 households were visited or assessed through the DSWD’s SWDI, which marked the province as the top two in Region 7 that completed SWDI administration before the deadline, said Zerna.
“This year, we exceeded the 28 percent target of self-sufficient households, more than half of our target households who will be exiting the program, meaning hamogaway na ang ilang pagpuyo (their life is comfortable),” she added. (JCT/PIA7 Negros Oriental)
