The COVID-19 pandemic affected the delivery of quality, formal education and many school-aged children.  To help flatten the curve, the Department of Education and Commision on Higher Education started to implement distance learning through online classes, modular learning, and other channels such as social media. Are the DSWD-4Ps beneficiaries ready for distance learning?  

The idea of the SISIDLAN (Sipi ng mga Inayos at Sininop na Individual Daily Lessons na Angkop sa New normal) Module Bag was developed. It’s purpose  is to motivate students to continue schooling and make their parents more aware of the importance of their children’s education.

This project is part of the Paligid Pangalagaan, Pag-aaral Paglaanan or 4Ps 4 4Ps project – a convergence initiative of the DSWD Municipal Action Team of Plaridel, Bulacan in partnership with the Local Government Unit and other partner agencies. 

4Ps 4 4Ps was launched in 2017. It is still being implemented yearly as part of the good practice of the municipality. It is a multifaceted program that involves 4Ps parents in making sure of the growth and education of their children. Just last year, the 4Ps 4 4Ps project was granted institutionalization by the Sangguniang Bayan of Plaridel, Bulacan. This milestone made the project sustainable and ensured continued delivery of different social services. 

During its three-year implementation, the said project was able to provide school uniforms and supplies to active 4Ps children beneficiaries whose families were able to comply with the 4 conditionalities: 1) Pantawid families will ensure the availability of their E-Balde in their houses; 2) Each Pantawid family will practice the Bio-Intensive Gardening in their houses/areas; 3)  Pantawid families will practice proper waste segregation; 4) Each Pantawid grantee will bring PET bottles with shredded plastic foils inside. These 4 conditionalities were part of the SWDI indicators that helped to address the SWDI gaps of the Pantawid beneficiaries in terms of education, nutrition, sanitation, disaster preparedness and increased income.

May 2017 – 1,281 Pantawid students received 1 set/pair of new school uniform

June 2018 – 1,212 Pantawid students received school bags

May 2019 – 1,200 Pantawid students received school uniform and school supplies 

August-October 2020 – 1,997 Pantawid Pamilya students were given 1 set of module bags and school supplies

The higher percentage of the compliance rate on education of 4Ps children beneficiaries suggests that the children are more motivated to study because they can feel and see the support of the government and their community.  

DSWD promotes and protects the welfare and development of the Filipino families. The Department invests highly on the foundation of children and the quality of family that they have. The effects of the pandemic may have surprised all of us but thanks to the initiative and innovations of program implementers and their partner agencies, the communities and the cooperation of the beneficiaries who made the impact of this crisis more manageable.

 

Story and photos by: Richard R. Tayao, MAT Leader – Plaridel, Bulacan

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