BAGUIO CITY (PIA) -- A family from Kiangan, Ifugao and a Grade 11 student from Itogon, Benguet are this year’s 4Ps (Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program) Huwarang Pamilya and Exemplary Child for the Cordillera Region.
During the Regional Search for the 4Ps Huwarang Pamilya and Exemplary Child on August 3, at the City Travel Hotel in Baguio City, the family of Emilia Dinamling from Kiangan emerged as the 4Ps Huwarang Pamilya while Zarah Mae Comiles, a Grade 11 student of Sacred Heart High School in Itogon, Benguet was named the 2023 Pantawid Exemplary Child.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development led the awarding of winners immediately after the judging.
Emilia and Benedicto Dinamling are parents to five children. Emilia is a child development worker and an active member of the community while Benedicto is a farmer, and a barangay kagawad.
In second and third places were the Ricardo and Maribel Balcita Family of Baguio City, and Saly and Miriam Briones Family from Santa Marcela, Apayao, respectively.
Other finalists include Rizaldo and Lolita Baesa Family from Abra, Greg and Catalina Ortiga Family from Benguet, Daniel and Bernize Kinao Family from Kalinga, and Allan and Rosalie Kacayon Family from Mountain Province.
For the Exemplary Children Category, Comiles bested six other finalists. She aspires to become a successful entrepreneur someday.
Being a monitored child under the 4Ps, Comiles shared that she is very thankful because the program has helped their family a lot. She said that no matter what challenges or difficulties they face in life, she will endure it no matter how hard it is. Her family will always be her inspiration to become successful in her chosen career someday.
Runners-up were Danica Chorpangan of Natonin, Mountain Province, and Remalyn Aguilar of Pudtol, Apayao.
Other finalists were Jane Bugtong Venus of Abra, Roxanne Baggit Bosway of Baguio City, Dencio DJ T. Dinamling of Ifugao, and Cloeth Joy Yacapin of Kalinga.
The top three winners in both categories were awarded plaques and cash prizes of Php15,000.00 for first place; Php10,000.00 for second place, and Php8,000.00 for third place. The other finalists received consolation prize of Php 2,000.00 and certificate of recognition.
DSWD-CAR Regional Director Leo Quintilla said the activity aims to recognize the program’s household and children' beneficiaries who have shown outstanding examples of positive Filipino values to their households, co-beneficiaries, school, and community.
He called on the model families to be a role model not only to 4Ps beneficiaries but to the communities.
For the exemplary children, “Be an inspiration to your fellow children, your classmates, and most of all, go to college, fulfill your dreams to be a lawyer, policemen, etc. We have 4Ps beneficiaries who are lawyers, engineers, and doctors and they are now serving the community,” he said.
“Show them na kayang tumawid sa kahirapan at kayang maging role model ng community and can motivate other families,” Quintilla enjoined.
DSWD-CAR Regional Director Leo Quintilla enjoins 4Ps beneficiaries to do their best, take care of the children, their health, their education, comply with the conditionalities and learn in Family Development Sessions so that that they will graduate from the program in earlier.
Prior to the awarding, a desk validation, talent presentation, and question and answer were conducted with the provincial families and children winners by a panel of judges from DSWD partner agencies.
For the Huwarang Pamilya search, the major eligibility requirements include: A Filipino family beneficiary for at least two years; with good standing in the community with no derogatory records and has not been convicted of any administrative, criminal, civil case or cases involving moral turpitude, and whose income is not derived from gambling, prostitution, child labor, extortion, and other similar illegal resources.
For the Exemplary Children, the 4Ps child must be involved with the program for at least one, enrolled in school and compliant to 85% school attendance requirement of the program, and with good scholastic standing.
The annual Search for 4Ps Huwarang Pamilya and Exemplary Children started in 2012 and has become a good venue to advocate the program, and share 4Ps stories of change. (JDP/MAWC-PIA CAR with reports from Angela Lacson and Nicole Operaña, UC Interns)
