The Department of Social Welfare and Development on Oct. 25 held the 4Ps National Family Day 2023 to recognize the contributions of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) beneficiaries in demonstrating and preserving positive Filipino values.
As part of the celebration, the DSWD awarded 17 huwarang Pantawid pamilya from the different regions who have exhibited strong family ties and carried out exemplary practices and achievements that created a positive impact and promoted empowerment to the families and their communities.
DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian said the exemplary 4Ps families are living testimonies of the importance of hard work, along with government assistance, in breaking the cycle of poverty.
One of the exemplary 4Ps families is that of Roperto and Rhea Rala, members of an indigenous people in Barangay Afus, TBoli, South Cotabato.
Before being admitted into the program in 2010, the farmer couple had to take care of their son who was paralyzed due to heat stroke, while living a hand-to-mouth existence.
Crystyl Mae, their 23-year-old daughter, narrated the first cash grant they received was spent on buying a piglet, which through persistence and complete faith in God, has evolved into a backyard piggery over the years.
Because of their hard work and the 4Ps program, which also opened the door to assistance from other government agencies, the Rala family was able to develop their farm, go into business, and send the children to higher education.
“Naging inspirasyon ko ang 4Ps upang ipursige ang ang kursong BS Education dahil gusto kong turuan ang mga bata na mangarap at samahan ito ng pagpupursige. Gusto kong pagsilbihan ang mga kabataan lalo na sa mga kapwa naming IP na salat sa buhay,” Crystil Mae said.
She is now in second year college, while her sister Rachelle is also in her second year in BS Social Work course.
The Dinamling family from Kiangan, Ifugao is also one of the model families whose lives completely turned around for the better because of the 4Ps program
Emilia Dimamling said she gave birth to her eldest child at age 19, forcing her and her husband, Benedicto, to stop their schooling.
In 2009, with four children and another child on the way, social workers from the DSWD conducted preliminary interviews. Two years later, the family was enrolled in the 4Ps program.
Emilia admitted she and her husband were into gambling at that time, but soon turned for the better due to the family development sessions (FDS) that they regularly attended.
“Malaki ang naitulong ng buwanang FDS ng programa sa aking pamilya dahil dito naipapaalala ang pagiging isang responsableng asawa, ina, at miyembro ng komunidad,” she said.
Because of the FDS, she said her perspective in life and her relationship with her husband changed, and they completely shunned gambling for good in 2013.
The Ralas and the Dimamligs, as well as other regional winners, received a plaque of recognition and a P10,000 cash incentive, on top of the other prizes provided by their respective DSWD field offices.
The 4Ps is the national poverty reduction strategy and a human capital investment program of the government that provides conditional cash transfer to qualified household-beneficiaries.
As of June 30, the 4Ps covers a total of 3,893,958 active household-beneficiaries across 41,676 barangays in the entire country. – PNA
