Camiguin Transitions 4Ps Program Beneficiaries to Local Aftercare

CAMIGUIN – A significant development for social welfare in Camiguin province involves the transfer of 5,737 Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) beneficiaries to local government units (LGUs) for ongoing aftercare, as the Department of Social Welfare and Development-Northern Mindanao (DSWD-10) initiates a new phase of support.

According to Philippines News Agency, this transition is part of the Kilos Unlad Framework, a 4Ps case management strategy designed to foster sustainable well-being improvements through collaboration between DSWD and LGUs. The framework mandates the handover of graduated 4Ps participants to LGUs, which will then assume responsibility for monitoring and providing further assistance as delineated in an established sustainability plan.

This policy shift reflects a tailored approach, relying on transition plans developed by inter-agency committees at the local level. March reports indicate that 807 Camiguin beneficiaries have already exited the 4Ps, having achieved enhanced living standards, with nearly a thousand more households attaining Level 3 self-sufficiency.

The formalization of this transition occurred via a memorandum of agreement between DSWD-10 and the Camiguin provincial administration under Governor Xavier Jesus Romualdo. This agreement underscores a shared commitment to ensuring the provision of social protection measures even beyond the 4Ps tenure, with local social welfare offices spearheading the initiative across the province’s municipalities.

Director Jamen stressed the critical role of LGUs in delivering sustained support, advocating for comprehensive local social protection legislation that reinforces the objectives of the 4Ps. Following this model, Camiguin aims to create a robust framework for reducing poverty, supported by logistical backing from the provincial government for continuous beneficiary oversight.

Camiguin’s initiative marks it as the second province to establish such a partnership with DSWD-10, after Bukidnon, reflecting a broader effort to enhance 4Ps program impact in Northern Mindanao, where over 257,000 households participate in the scheme.