Two individuals who grew up under the monitoring of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) through the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) have successfully achieved their aspirations.
Joan Grace Ewican from Carmen, Bohol, has become a licensed engineer after passing the December 2024 Agricultural and Biosystems Engineers Licensure Exam. Similarly, Kerth Jay Alunan from Dapitan City, Zamboanga del Norte, has fulfilled his dream of becoming a lawyer by passing the 2024 Bar Examination.
Photo courtesy: Facebook/Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program
Both achievers proudly credit the government’s national initiative, which provides conditional cash transfers to impoverished households to improve health, nutrition, and education, as a key factor in their success.
Photo courtesy: Facebook/Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program
DSWD spokesperson Irene Dumlao expressed the agency’s pride in the accomplishments of its former beneficiaries. “We are proud to announce that two former 4Ps-monitored children have become a licensed engineer and a lawyer. Their perseverance and hard work deserve recognition and celebration,” she said.
Joan Grace, in a DSWD Region VII post, highlighted how the 4Ps program played a vital role in her journey. “I once dreamt of this moment, uncertain if it was achievable given our family’s financial struggles. But God’s providence never failed. Becoming a 4Ps beneficiary was instrumental in my success,” she shared.
Before earning her license as an engineer, Ewican was recognized as a role model for 4Ps beneficiaries, securing 4th place in the 2024 National Search for Pantawid Pamilya Exemplary Children.
Similarly, Kerth Jay Alunan, a graduate of Jose Rizal Memorial State University in Zamboanga del Norte, was among the 3,962 passers of the 2024 Bar Exams. Like Ewican, Alunan acknowledged the significant impact of the 4Ps program in helping him achieve his dream of becoming a lawyer.
Photo courtesy: Facebook/Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program
The 4Ps program, institutionalized in 2019, provides conditional cash grants to low-income households, offering the following benefits: a Health Grant of ₱750.00 per month per household; an Education Grant of ₱300.00 per elementary student, ₱500.00 per junior high school student, and ₱700.00 per senior high school student, covering up to three children per household for 10 months during the school year; and a Rice Subsidy of ₱600.00 per month for households that actively comply with the program’s conditions.