The Department of Social Welfare and Development Field Office V in partnership with the Local Government Unit recently conducted a 4-day session on Youth Personality Development to increase the number of enrollees of Out-of-School Youth (OSY) in Barangay San Jose, Pilar Sorsogon.
The session aims to help the OSYs and other disadvantaged youth to become inspired in going to class, self-reliant, economically productive and socially responsible citizens enabling to contribute to the development of their family and community.
According to Seychelle Jessa Mirabel, Social Welfare Officer III, the said activity is helpful to guide and inspire the OSYs to participate actively in school and in their respective communities.
“It is also our way of addressing the habitual absentees of Pantawid Pamilya children beneficiaries in attending classes in school,” she added.
The Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) is a human development measure of the national government that provides conditional cash grants to the poorest of the poor, to improve the health, nutrition, and the education of children aged 0-18. It is patterned after the conditional cash transfer (CCT) schemes in Latin American and African countries, which have lifted millions of people around the world from poverty.
The session includes workshops, lectures on youth involvement in community development, and focus group discussions that talks about their struggles and problems being faced in the family or in the community.
On the last day of the activity, the parents were invited to ask for their commitment and support in providing the needs of their children in school.
Leslie M. Mallorca, 18, a beneficiary of Pantawid Pamilya and participant, said, the activity motivated her to enroll this school year. “Iniisip ko po na dapat hindi ako tumigil sa pag-aaral kahit walang wala kami pera na pang-gastos sa mga projects. Magtitinda ako sari-saring kakanin para kumita, [I am thinking that I should have not stop attending class although, we do not have enough money to finance my projects, I will sell various native foods to earn],” she said.
Leslie is only one of the OSYs who stopped attending classes due to financial constraints. For almost two years, Leslie worked as a sales lady in various stores in the Municipality and was able to save a small amount of money for her enrollment this year.
“Nagpapasalamat po ako sa 4Ps kasi hindi po sila tumitigil na tulungan kami para makatapos kami ng pag-aaral, [I am thankful to the program because they never stop to help us to be able to attain our dream of finishing our studies],” Leslie ended. ***G.A.N.Lindio,4Ps-IO