Children beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) bagged medals in Palarong Pambansa 2018, the Philippines’ largest youth sporting event held recently in Vigan, Ilocos Sur.
Jezza A. Villaraza and Angelo P. Aganan, who both hail from the town of Palanas, Masbate in the Bicol Region, took home gold and bronze medals, respectively in the cadet category of Palarong’s wrestling competition.
Fourteen-year-old Jezza snagged the gold medal after winning the championship match over CARAGA Region in the wrestling competition for girls in the secondary level under the 40 kg cadet category. The gold medalist, who is an incoming Grade 10 student at Rondina-Atendido National High School, also won last year, bringing home the silver medal during the Palarong Pambansa 2017 in Antique, Western Visayas.
The young wrestler’s gold medal is the first ever gold earned by Masbate in the sporting event. It is also the first gold medal won in the wrestling competition by the province since the sport debuted in Palarong Pambansa in 2014.
Meanwhile, Angelo, who is also a resident of Palanas and a student of the same high school, won his bronze medal in the wrestling match for boys in the secondary level under the 46 kg cadet category.
The two wrestlers’ families are among the 2,530 household-beneficiaries of 4Ps in Palanas, a fourth-class municipality. There is a total of 74,643 Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries in the whole province of Masbate.
DSWD Secretary Virginia “Gee” N. Orogo extended her warmest congratulations to the winning Pantawid Pamilya athletes.
“I congratulate our 4Ps children-beneficiaries who excelled in the recent Palarong Pambansa 2018. You make us all at DSWD very proud of what you’ve accomplished,” Sec. Orogo said.
“Seeing our beneficiaries like you reach your goals and dreams make us even more motivated to continue doing our job of extending assistance to those in need and providing them opportunities that would sustain their efforts in improving their lives. We remain committed to working under our guiding principle of providing services with Kalinga at Pagmamahal and to making an impact in the lives of more of our fellow citizens,” the Secretary added. ###
