Some 152 families from Daanbantayan town in northern Cebu have risen from poverty to self-sufficiency, according to the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
CEBU CITY, Philippines — A total of 152 families from Daanbantayan town in northern Cebu, have graduated from the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) last week.
Of these number, 103 families have already reached Level 3 of well-being or have risen from poverty to self-sufficiency, while 49 families have no more eligible children.
“Tungod sa inyong pag-graduate, aduna nay mga pamilyang mga tabangonon ang adunay tyansa nga makaapil ug makatagamtam sa benepisyo sa Pantawid Pamilya,” Assistant Regional Director for Operations Shalaine Marie Lucero said.
Lucero said that their slots in the program would be replaced with new eligible families, who will be granted the same benefits.
“These families will undergo validation for their eligibility,” she added.
She explained that under Republic Act 11310 or 4Ps Act, the new beneficiaries of the program would only avail of and enjoy the benefits under the program in seven years.
Lucero added that there were already identified families, through the Listahanan, that are poor and needed to be part of the program.
To be eligible for the program, the identified poor and near-poor families have to have children 18 years and below, have a pregnant woman at the time of the registration, and have to be interested and willing to comply with the requirements set by the program.
Currently, there are 8,744 active Pantawid beneficiaries in Daanbantayan.
DSWD-7 regional director Rebecca Geamala, for her part, emphasized that graduates can still avail of the programs and services that exist in their areas and those implemented by other government agencies to sustain the development of their families.
“Ang pag-graduate ninyo sa 4Ps is a stepping stone for you to have more access in many opportunities,” Geamala said. /rcg