To ensure the safety of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) beneficiaries against the threat brought about by the spread of the Corona virus, the DSWD, even up to this day, discourages 4Ps beneficiaries to conduct face-to-face mass gatherings as compliance to their monthly Family Development Sessions (FDS).

FDS is the monthly gathering of 4Ps beneficiaries where they discuss and learn relevant knowledge and information that could help them improve their quality of life such as financial literacy sessions, disaster-preparedness orientation, family planning seminars, parenting sessions, among others.

In lieu of the face-to-face sessions, the regional office of the DSWD introduced several modalities that enable the beneficiaries to still comply with the mandate of the program without having to leave the comfort of their homes.

The following are the 8 modalities applied by the DSWD in conducting FDS sessions: e-FDS Facebook Post, FDS on Group Chat, Printed e-FDS, Basa-Pasa or Wall-Dikit, Small Group Neighborhood Sessions (SGNS), e-FDS Text Blast, Facebook Live Streaming, and FDS On Air (Radio and/or TV).

Among these modalities, FDS On Air (Radio/TV) seems to be the most preferred or most accessible modality that the beneficiaries used in the past periods.

With this strategy, the DSWD, on average, meets around 95-96% compliance rate on attendance to FDS despite the restrictions following Covid-19 protocols.

Monitoring of attendance is done through submission of insight paper by the beneficiary on their learning from the session. Additionally, the Parent Leaders per purok or barangay also help in ensuring attendance of the beneficiaries to the FDS sessions by securing an attendance sheet.

“Grande ayuda gayot el maga Parent Leaders cay sila mismo ta man monitor tambien con el otro beneficiario si ta atende ba FDS o hinde. (Parent Leaders are a big help as they, too, monitor the attendance of other 4Ps beneficiaries to FDS),” FDS focal person, Marieced Opaon said.

4Ps will soon introduce yet another modality by August called the FDS on YouTube. ###