As the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) wrapped up its week-long anniversary celebration on Friday (June 28), its National Program Management Office (NPMO) reiterated that the 4Ps is not a dole-out program.

In her message during the closing ceremonies at the Lucky Chinatown Hotel in Manila, 4Ps National Program Manager Gemma Gabuya maintained that the 4Ps is not a dole-out program but a transformative one that aims to empower 4Ps households to become more self-sufficient.

“Since the enactment of Republic Act No. 11310 in 2019, the 4Ps has been at the forefront of our government’s efforts to break the intergenerational cycle of poverty, fostering education, nutrition, and health among millions of Filipino families,” Director Gabuya pointed out.

Director Gabuya said in her message that the recognition of the 4Ps beneficiaries, staff and partners is part of the agency’s celebration of the program’s significant impacts on the lives of the poor households since its inception and institutionalization.

The 4Ps-NPMO aims to achieve the self-sufficiency of the more than 4.4 million active 4Ps households across the country through the provision of conditional cash grants for the education, health, and nutrition of children, Director Gabuya said.

The 4Ps-NPMO has recognized the outstanding contributions of the 4Ps beneficiaries, partners, and staff during the culminating activities that capped the celebration of the 5th anniversary of the passage into law of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program.

DSWD Undersecretary for National Household Targeting System (NHTS) and 4Ps Vilma Cabrera emphasized that the 4Ps law anniversary celebration is also a commemoration of the significant contributions of the people behind the milestones achieved by the program.

“Today, we will take a moment to appreciate the dedication of our internal staff and external partners who have worked tirelessly behind the scenes. Their commitment has been the backbone of our success and we are proud to recognize their contributions,” Undersecretary Cabrera said.

Through the “Pagpupugay at Pasasalamat sa tagapag-unlad ng 4Ps” ceremony, the 4Ps NPMO lauded five 4Ps board top notchers who have excelled in their respective licensure examinations.

Posthumous awards were also given to the relatives of four exemplary 4Ps staff who dedicated their lives to the program.

The 4Ps-NPMO also recognized 18 development partners and 15 provincial social welfare and development offices that served as partners of the agency in achieving the 4Ps goals.

“The journey ahead is filled with challenges, but with our combined efforts, we can continue to break the cycle of poverty and create lasting change,” Undersecretary Cabrera said.

In her message, Assistant Secretary for NHTS and 4Ps Marites Maristela called for the continued support from stakeholders which “have helped shape the program, making it more effective and impactful”.

“Let us continue to work hand in hand, fueled by the stories of success we have shared, to create an even brighter future for our beneficiaries,” Asst. Sec. Maristela said.

The culminating activity of the 4Ps law anniversary was attended by partner-agencies, development partners, local government, and  4Ps beneficiaries. #