INDEPENDENT. Some of the graduates of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) during a ceremony in Tanauan, Leyte on April 5, 2024. At least 7,491 households in Eastern Visayas have graduated from the program in the first quarter of the year. (Photo courtesy of Department of Social Welfare and Development Eastern Visayas)
TACLOBAN CITY – At least 7,491 households in Eastern Visayas have graduated from the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) during the first quarter of the year, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) regional office here reported on Wednesday.
DSWD Eastern Visayas regional information officer Jonalyndie Chua said these households had been declared self-sufficient after undergoing social preparation activities.
“These households reached the self-sufficiency level of well-being, leading to their identification as graduates. They were honored during ceremonies by the DSWD and local government units. They are transitioned to the care of their respective local government units for further livelihood development,” Chua told the Philippine News Agency.
Of the 7,491 families, some 5,556 are from Leyte province, 513 from Northern Samar, 831 from Samar, 322 from Biliran, 23 from Eastern Samar, and 246 from Southern Leyte.
Chua said graduation from the program does not mean the end of assistance from the central government.
“The department offers the sustainable livelihood program, in collaboration with local governments and other agencies, to continue supporting households in achieving better living conditions,” the information officer added.
The conditional cash transfer program is a government initiative aimed at improving the health, nutrition, and education of children aged 0–18 in the country’s poorest communities.
Currently, over 286,000 households in Eastern Visayas are listed as members of the 4Ps.
This year, the department has allocated a total of PHP6.25 billion for the implementation of the program in the region.
Patterned after the conditional cash transfer scheme implemented in other developing countries, 4Ps provides cash grants to beneficiaries if they comply with the set of conditions required by the program. (With reports from Daniel A. Panis, OJTs/PNA)
