“I am impressed by the testimonials of the teachers and healthcare workers in most 4Ps areas. They said very appreciative things about the program as helping them deliver their mission on health and the educators testified on the increase engagement of the students and parents aike”, these are the very words of the jehan Arulpragasam who was one of those that composes the team from World bankd and AusAid on a Supervision Mission visit in the Municiplaity of Ayungon, Negros Oriental last June 3-4, 2010. Escorted by no less than Undersecretary Alicia Bala, ASEC Parisya Taradaji and 4ps Program Manager Director Margarita Sampang from DSWD National Office.

Led by Mr. Bert Hofman, Country Director Phils, East Asia and the Pacific and Titon Mitra, Minister Counselor of AusAID, the supervision mission’s main objective was to assess the gains of the project and see how the program is being accepted and implemented in the area specifically in barangay POblacion and Tampocon. As the World Bank team entered the town of Ayungon, 4Ps beneficiaries and LGU staff led by Mayor Erwin Agustino and Vice Mayor Edsel Enardecido.

The warmth of Ayungon hospitality filled the air as colorful flaglets with words of welcome and warm greeting met the supervision mission team who proceeded for a courtesy call followed by a meeting with the Municipal Advisory Council where they have witnessed the zealousness of its members most especially Vice Mayor Encardecido in his efforts to implement compliance in his municipality.

Hofman, Mitra and company then proceeded to the health centers and elemenatry schools of barangay Poblacion and Tampocon where they held a dialogue with the partners and beneficiaries of the program. What waited them was a pleasant sunrise upon witnessing the enthusiastic participation of the health and education partners and the increasing participation of the parents and families in accessing the services and attending family development sessions which based on testimonials done by the beneficiaries themselves have greatly helped especially in their relationship with their children and spouses. The transformation form ordinary community people into leaders can be noted as one concreted illustration of ordinary people trying to make a difference to achieve its objectives.

DSWD’s 4P’s is a poverty reduction strategy of the government that provides conditional cash transfer to extremely poor households to allow members of the family to meet certain human development goals to break the poverty cycle by addressing issues of low educational achievement, high maternal and infant mortality rate, high malnutrition rate and high rate of child labor among the poor. It provides conditional cash grants to extremely poor household to improve their health and education particularly of children aged 0-14 years old.

To continually avail of the cash grants, the beneficiaries have to comply with the following conditions: (1) pregnant women must get pre-natal and post natal care; be attended during childbirth by a trained health professional (2) children 0-50 years old must attend responsible parenthood sessions, mother’s classes, parent effectiveness seminar, etc. (4) children 3-14 years old must attend day-care, pre-school, elementary and high school at least 85% of the time.