The Department of Social Welfare and Development announces the opening of this year’s search for Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) model families, the judging of which will happen a few weeks from now.
4Ps information officer Phoebe Jen Indino said the Provincial search for Huwarang Pamilya is on its fourth year now; and in the first three years, the provincial winners also dominated the regional rounds of competitions and evaluation enough for the Boholano winning families to represent Central Visayas in the national categories.
Speaking at the Kapihan sa PIA, Indino hinted the this year, the regional DSWD has challenged Cebu and Siquijor families to join in the search which would be evaluated on merits of compliance with the DWSD cash transfer conditions, as well as religiously demonstrating the lessons learned from the family development sessions.
The search aims to encourage beneficiary families to maintain good standing in the community and serve as role models to other families in exercising family values and by being productive, DSWD said.
The over-all impact for the model family is bringing positive change in the community, DSWD added.
The challenge even becomes more daunting in Bohol, which has sent in its provincial winners topping the regional search and getting picked in the national level competitions.
In 2013, on the first year of the Huwarang Pamilya search, Hermocilla Sederiosa Family of Sagbayan, zoomed to the top of all provincial contenders and made it biggest in the regional finals.
Representing Region 7 in the national level competitions, the Sederiosa Family brought home the 4th over-all award, placing Central Visayas and Bohol in the limelight.
The following year, after a long desk-validation and ocular assessment, the Ewican Family of Alegria Carmen won big and lumped the regional finals to represent Central Visayas in the national search.
The Ewicans came home with the meat-bag: a second runner up finish in the national level evaluation. Later, the Ewican Family again rejoiced after a similar accolade came for their child, who also won a national award.
In 2015, Torrentira Family of Dagnawan Sagbayan proved their decision to resettle in Bohol and start a new life was also a blessing in disguise.
Winning for themselves the Bohol search for the Huwarang Pamilya that year, the Family also made it to the regional finals and came home with the 10,000 regional winner cash award.
The Torrentiras also automatically represented Central Visayas in the national level and came home with the second runner up honors.
This year, as the competitions open, the DSWD, which has successfully replicated and enhanced the search, urges Boholano 4Ps beneficiaries to bring their stories out and inspire the country.
To date, about 59,957 Boholano family beneficiaries stand a slot to be chosen, Indino, who used to write for a national daily prior to her 4Ps stint said.
The Provincial search is set in Tagbilaran on June 1, according to information officer Indino. (rac/PIA-7/Bohol)