THE DEPARTMENT of Social Welfare and Development is encouraging Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) household-beneficiaries with children enrolled in Grade 12 to attend the program’s “Senior High School CareerPathWATCH.”

Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao said the initiative aims to gather information on the preferred career pathways of 4Ps Grade 12 students to be able to link them to partner agencies that can help provide education, skills training, and business opportunities after finishing senior high school.

“Sa tulong ng 4Ps SHS CareerPathWATCH, matutulungan natin ang ating mga kabataang 4Ps na magtatapos ng Grade 12 para mai-ugnay sila sa mga ahensya ng gobyerno na maaaring makatulong sa kanila sa landas na nais nilang tahakin pagkatapos ng senior high school. Maaaring ito ay sa pamamagitan ng referral sa scholarship grants, trabaho, o tulungan sila sa pagnenegosyo (With the help of 4Ps SHS CareerPathWATCH, we can link the 4Ps children graduating from Grade 12 with government agencies that can help them in their chosen path through scholarship grants, jobs or business opputunity),” Dumlao said in a statement on Friday.

The DSWD spokesperson said those who are enjoined to attend the activity are 4Ps household parent-grantee and their children enrolled in Grade 12.

“Ang datos na aming makukuha sa CareerPathWATCH na ito ay irerefer namin sa kauukulang mga ahensya. Kabilang na rito ang Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) at ang Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) (The collected data from CareerPathWATCH wil be referred to concerned agencies, including CHED, TESDA and DOLE),” she said.

Attendance to the program will serve as the equivalent of the beneficiaries’ compliance with the monthly Family Development Session (FDS) for the monitoring period 6A, which is the month of December.

“Hinihikayat po namin ang ating mga benepisyaryo na makipag-ugnayan sa inyong mga case manager para sa itinakdang schedule at lugar kung saan idaraos ang 4Ps SHS CareerPathWATCH sa inyong lugar (We are encouraging the beneficiaries to coordinate with their case managers for the scheduled 4Ps SHS CareerPathWATCH in your area),” she said.

The CareerPathWatch is part of the DSWD’s continuing initiatives in ensuring that the 4Ps households are assisted towards improved quality of lives.

Launched in 2008 and formalized through Republic Act 11310, the 4Ps program is the Philippine government’s primary strategy to combat poverty.

Under the 4Ps, qualified households receive conditional cash grants intended for their children’s education, health, and nutrition. (PNA)