DSWD and Comelec sign an agreement to promote voters’ education among members of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps). (photos DSWD)

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to promote voters’ education among members of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) on Friday (October 27) at the Bureau of Treasury Convention Hall, Palacio del Gobernador in the City of Manila.

The agreement was signed by DSWD Undersecretary Vilma Cabrera, representing DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian, and COMELEC Chairperson George Erwin Garcia.

The agreement is aimed at expanding the 4Ps voters’ education which is currently being facilitated through the Family Development Sessions (FDS).

The MOU will also pave the way for broadening the knowledge of 4Ps beneficiaries, particularly their understanding and appreciation of their responsibilities as voters.

The MOU, likewise, encourages 4Ps households to actively participate during elections.

In the message of Secretary Gatchalian, which was read by Usec. Cabrera, he emphasized that signing the agreement is one way of ensuring that 4Ps beneficiaries have the correct and sufficient information for them to arrive at an informed decision in choosing the next leaders of our country.

For his part, Chairperson Garcia said 4Ps beneficiaries comprise a big portion of the country’s voting population that is why the COMELEC wants to promote 4Ps voters’ education.

The signing ceremony was also attended by COMELEC Commissioners Nelson Celis, Socorro Inting, and Ernesto Ferdinand Maceda, Jr; 4Ps Program Manager, Director Gemma Gabuya; Director Monica Shayne Purugganan; and other DSWD staff.

The 4Ps is the national poverty reduction strategy and a human capital investment program of the government that provides conditional cash transfer to qualified household-beneficiaries.
It is a human development program which provides social protection, social assistance, social development, and other complementary support services in partnership with concerned agencies, local government units and other stakeholders toward improving the health and nutrition, education, and socio-economic aspects of the lives of the beneficiaries.

As of September 2023, the 4Ps has a total of 4.070 million active household-beneficiaries across 41,676 barangays in the entire country.