Bicol: The Department of Social Welfare and Development in Bicol (DSWD-5) has launched a program that enhances personal grooming, self-awareness, and overall development for youth beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).

According to Philippines News Agency, Dickson Tendido, the 4Ps Bicol Youth Development Session (YDS) Focal Person, stated in a phone interview that the initiative complements the Family Development Session (FDS) for parents. With the theme ‘Embrace and Thrive: Unveiling Your True Potentials,’ the program aims to equip 4Ps youth with essential life skills.

“This program supports adolescents who have specific developmental needs. We know that this stage comes with risky behaviors, so we want to help them make informed choices and stay on the right path through YDS,” Tendido said in Filipino. The school-based initiative runs one session per month for 10 months, covering topics such as self-awareness, emotional regulation, and self-worth.

“We want them to discover their identity, build resilience, and continue their education. Our goal is to ensure that risky behaviors do not lead to school dropouts,” he added. More than 4,000 students from 114 municipalities have benefited from this program, contributing to a decline in non-compliance cases and lower school dropout rates.

The program is a collaborative effort between DSWD-5, local government units (LGUs), and public secondary schools in the Bicol Region, with a PHP3.1 million budget. Tendido added that the program is also open to non-4Ps students. “Our LGU partners see the value of YDS, so they want it to benefit all students, not just 4Ps beneficiaries,” he said.