To strengthen regional collaboration and improve service delivery for the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) beneficiaries, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office 02 convened a Regional Advisory Council (RAC) meeting on June 20, 2025, at NGN Hotel, Peñablanca, Cagayan.
The meeting served as an avenue for collaborative discussion, composed of key partners from National Government Agencies and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs).
RAC, as mandated under Section 39 of the 4Ps Implementing Rules and Regulations, is tasked to provide direction and recommendations on program implementation, aiming to promote regional ownership and guarantee access to essential services for qualified household beneficiaries.
Among the major highlights of the meeting was the drafting of a resolution by the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DepDev) which seeks to mandate all applicable agencies with job orders to offer employment opportunities to 4Ps college graduates. Relatively, a consultation meeting with the Department of Education (DepEd) will be scheduled to address the needs of children and youth in marginalized sectors.
On the health front, the council emphasized close coordination with Rural Health Units (RHU), supported by Family Development Sessions, to encourage F1KD beneficiaries to avail of immunization services, especially in addressing fear and hesitancy toward vaccines.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) was requested in capacitating and monitoring 4Ps beneficiaries’ livelihood development through agricultural project orientations. The list of ESSI-organized groups will also be provided to the DA, and a Memorandum of Agreement on data sharing will be shared among RAC members to enhance coordination.
Efforts are also underway to arrange a special meeting with TESDA to develop a training package tailored for 4Ps members, further expanding their skills and employment prospects.
Further, the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) committed to further amplify communication initiatives, and the partner agencies to follow through on their commitments under the Regional Convergence Plans, particularly those identified with gaps in support delivery.
Among the agencies present were DepDev, DA, TESDA, DepEd, PIA, Department of Budgement and Management, Department of Interior and Local Government, Department of Labor and Employment, Department of Agrarian Reform, Commission on Population and Development, Commission on Higher Education, Department of Health, National Nutrition Council, Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, National Anti-Poverty Commission – Institutional Partnerships Office, Rural Action for People’s Integrated Development Foundation, and Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
The RAC reaffirmed its dedication to reinforcing multi-agency collaboration and ensuring that the holistic development and welfare of 4Ps
beneficiaries remain a shared and sustained responsibility. (By: Micah Joyce C. Sibbaluca)