KORONADAL CITY, South Cotabato (PIA) – A total of 9,421 beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) in the region have reached level 3 sufficiency, the highest level based on the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) indicators.
Yasmin Mantawil, DSWD Soccsksargen’s social welfare officer, stated during the recent PIA Talakayang Dose radio program that the region’s annual Pugay Tagumpay celebrations in all cities and municipalities will recognize these beneficiaries.
“Itong mga 4Ps beneficiaries, sila po ay graduated na, exited na, at hindi na sila makakatanggap ng cash grants,” Mantawil stated.
(These 4Ps beneficiaries have already graduated and exited the program, and they will no longer receive cash grants.)
For the provincial breakdown, Cotabato Province has the highest number of self-sufficient beneficiaries with 4,156, followed by Sultan Kudarat with 2,393, South Cotabato with 1,569, Sarangani with 685, and General Santos City with 618.
Mantawil added that over 5,000 sons and daughters of 4Ps in the region graduated from college, and some have already become professionals in their chosen fields.
Gerom Ungkal Ikan, 25, the son of farmers from Sitio Lub, Barangay New Dumangas, Tboli, South Cotabato, passed the Mechanical Engineers Licensure Examination in February 2024 and is now working as a maintenance engineer in the Tboli local government unit.
“Noong nag-aaral pa ako, hindi na gaanong nahihirapan magpadala ng pera ang aking mga magulang dahil may sideline din ako sa electronics at may tulong mula sa gobyerno,” he said.
(My parents didn’t have much trouble sending money when I was still studying because I also had a sideline in electronics and government assistance.)
Gerom’s parents became recipients of the 4Ps in 2012.
Loribee Ann Cabangisan, the daughter of a 4Ps beneficiary from Barangay San Mateo, Aleosan, Cotabato, said the program gave poor families hope to realize their dreams.
“Never did I think that this program would last this long, given the opposition from several individuals who previously opposed it, arguing that it would increase Filipinos’ reliance on the government and negatively impact the economy, without even considering the joy in the hearts of those who saw a glimmer of hope,” she told the Philippine Information Agency.
Cabasingan recently graduated Magna Cum Laude from Notre Dame of Midsayap College with a Bachelor in Secondary Education degree, majoring in Mathematics.
Currently, there are 228,441 active 4Ps beneficiaries in the region. These include 72,696 beneficiaries in Cotabato Province; 38,776 in Sarangani; 69,941 in South Cotabato; and 47,028 in Sultan Kudarat. (SJDM – PIA Region 12)
