To intensify efforts in reducing poverty and promoting sustainable livelihoods among Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) beneficiaries, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office V – Bicol Region, in partnership with the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev) Region V, successfully conducted the first 4Ps Regional Summit for Livelihood and Economic Opportunities on October 15–16, 2025 at the Robertson Hotel, Naga City.
Aligned with the vision of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and the leadership of DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian, the two-day summit aimed to reinforce the implementation of 4Ps by equipping grantees with opportunities to achieve self-sufficiency through livelihood and entrepreneurship.
The Bicol Region currently has 294,837 active 4Ps household beneficiaries, all working toward achieving self-reliance under the program’s core goals: improved health and education. The event gathered over 200 participants from across the region, including members of the Regional Advisory Council, Social Development Council, officials from DSWD Bicol, the 4Ps National and Regional Program Management Offices, Local Chief Executives, and more than 100 4Ps beneficiaries classified under Level 1 and Level 2 based on the Social Welfare and Development Indicator (SWDI) results.
In her keynote address, 4Ps National Program Management Office (NPMO) Director Gemma Gabuya emphasized the importance of collaboration in uplifting the lives of Filipino families.
“This is a meaningful dialogue because we come together under the spirit of the whole-of-nation approach, where our 4Ps beneficiaries themselves play a vital role. We always say there’s no ‘forever’ in 4Ps, which is why gatherings like this are important to help our members transition toward sustainable livelihoods,” said Gabuya.
DEPDev Bicol Regional Director Edna Cynthia S. Berces also stressed the importance of the summit in achieving the region’s development targets.
“What we celebrate here are not just numbers, but stories of success. Step by step, we are moving closer to our vision of reducing poverty incidence in the region by 2028,” she said.
Source: DSWD Bicol- Press Release