Posted on by Social Marketing Division

Stakeholders of the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program highlighted the importance of complementing Pantawid Pamilya with other anti-poverty programs to help achieve its goal of combating the poverty cycle in Filipino households during last week’s multi-stakeholders’ forum entitled, “Diskursong 4Ps: Paglalahad, Paglalarawan, Pagsasalaysay, Pagbibigay Liwanag sa Usaping Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program” held in Blulane Hotel, Manila.

During one of the discussions, Director Mary Anne Darauay of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) discussed the role of Pantawid Pamilya in the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) and underscored the importance of utilizing a convergence approach for poverty alleviation.

“Pantawid Pamilya in PDP aims to uphold the rights of children and ensure that the basic needs concerning education, healthcare, and responsible parenting are met. Strategies to do these are implementing a convergence approach that links beneficiaries to livelihood opportunities and enhancing Pantawid Pamilya through expanding its coverage, and formulating a transition policy for graduating beneficiaries to make sure they will not slide back to poverty,” Director Darauay said.

Forum panelists, Mr. Niño Versoza, representative of Senator Leila De Lima, Chair of Senate Committee on Social Justice, Welfare, and Rural Development; Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Assistant Secretary Gloria Tango; and, Samahang Nagkakaisang Pamilya ng Pantawid President Jeana Catacio, also expressed their support to the program and lauded its accomplishments. They likewise stressed that complementation of programs and services can help beneficiaries sustain their gains from the program.

“Kami sa DOLE, tinitingnan namin yung sustainability ng mga beneficiaries ng 4Ps. Dapat ay mayroong sasalo sa kanila pag natapos sila sa programa (DOLE ensures that beneficiaries sustain their gains even if they exit from the program). There has to be a complementation (of programs and services). Yung mga beneficiaries na hindi masasalo ng Sustainable Livelihood Program ay susubukang saluhin ng DOLE (We try to assist beneficiaries who will not be accommodated by the Sustainable Livelihood Program),” said Assistant Secretary Tango.

Pantawid Pamilya National Program Manager Director Leonardo Reynoso updates the forum participants on the challenges, improvements, and successful interventions made by the government’s anti-poverty alleviation program to its beneficiaries.

Stakeholders from the House of Representatives of the Philippines, Senate of the Philippines, Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), Philippine Information Agency (PIA), Department of Budget and Management (DBM), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Agriculture (DA), and the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) were also present to provide suggestions to improve program implementation such as to enhance the targeting and feedback, and grievance redress mechanism of the program.Pantawid Pamilya National Program Manager, Director Leonardo Reynoso, also presented program updates, challenges, and accomplishments including the graduation stories of the high school and college Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries, transitioning households, and Pantawid Pamilya Gulayan sa Barangay. He also answered queries during the Q&A segment.

Meanwhile, DSWD Secretary Virginia N. Orogo supported the calls to complement the anti-poverty initiatives of the government.

“The DSWD, as the lead agency that implements Pantawid Pamilya, uses a convergence strategy to ensure that its social protection programs are accessible to the poor. In order to sustain the gains of beneficiaries of Pantawid Pamilya, a convergence approach for the government’s anti-poverty programs needs to be employed,” she said.