The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), through the Social Marketing Division of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) National Program Management Office, conducted an orientation on understanding 4Ps with the agency’s media partners at the St. Giles Hotel in Makati City on Tuesday (May 7)

Director Gemma Gabuya, 4Ps National Program Manager, underscored the significance of media partners as  the agency’s allies in disseminating accurate information and enhancing public awareness about the 4Ps.

“Kapag nagtutulungan ang gobyerno lalo na itong mga private sector at media na napakalaking bahagi ay talagang mas mapapaintindi natin sa public ,” Director Gabuya said in her message. (When the government, especially with the private sector and media playing significant roles, collaborates, we can truly make the public understand the 4Ps program better.)

The 4Ps National Program Manager also emphasized that the orientation aimed to counter negative notions by providing deeper understanding of the program to the media partners.

“I know na ang media ay malaki ang tulong sa program kung paano natin naipapaintindi at ipapa-appreciate ang programa at paano natin matutulungan ang beneficiaries na kumbaga alagaan itong programa. Ibig-sabihin iyong sila mismo ang magpatotoo na hindi nasayang ang pera ng gobyerno. Iyon ang gusto naming message,”  Director Gabuya pointed out.

(I know that the media plays a significant role on how we  communicate and generate appreciation for the program, as well as how we can help the beneficiaries take care of it. It means that they themselves should affirm that the government’s money is not wasted. That is the message we want to convey.)

“I hope ito unti-unti naipapaliwanag namin at unti-unti at your part na-appreciate at naiintindihan ”, the DSWD official said. (I hope we are explaining enough the 4Ps program, and gradually, on your part, appreciating and understanding it.)

The orientation was designed to equip DSWD media partners with an in-depth knowledge about the objectives of the 4Ps.

Resource persons from the Department shared an overview about the 4Ps program and its impact on the beneficiaries and on the overall poverty reduction effort of the Philippine government. A workshop on how to storify the program was conducted.

DSWD-Traditional Media Service Director Aldrine Fermin, a former broadcaster and anchor of DZRH, welcomed the media participants.

Among the media partners that actively participated in the 4Ps orientation were GMA News Online, TV-5, UNTV, Pilipino Star Ngayon, The Daily Tribune, DZRH, DZXL and DWIZ-AM Radio Station.

State-run media organizations such as the Philippine News Agency (PNA), Philippine Information Agency (PIA), Radyo Pilipinas (RP1), and the People’s Television Network Inc. (PTNI) also participated in the orientation.

The 4Ps is the national poverty reduction strategy and a human capital investment program of the Philippine government and currently caters to 4.4 million household-beneficiaries nationwide. #