MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is launching a series of job fairs aimed at securing employment for 12,000 graduating members of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), as approximately 147,000 beneficiaries are set to exit the program this year. 

The job fairs, beginning today, January 31 in the National Capital Region (NCR), are part of the government’s goal to support 4Ps members as they transition out of the program.

According to DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian, the “Trabaho para sa 4Ps” initiative is designed to help prevent graduates from falling back into poverty after their eligibility for the program expires.

“These series of convergence of job fairs are intended for graduating 4Ps beneficiaries to make sure that they don’t slip back to poverty,” Secretary Gatchalian said.

With 147,000 beneficiaries expected to graduate this year in NCR alone, the DSWD aims to place 12,000 individuals into the workforce through the job fairs. 

The initiative is being organized in collaboration with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).

“Each graduating 4Ps family is entitled to one working adult who will get employed through the series of job fairs for household-beneficiaries, whether they have become self-sufficient or they have no more eligible children for cash grants,” Gatchalian explained.

The job fairs will be supported by a range of government agencies, including DOLE, TESDA, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Philippine National Police (PNP), Social Security System (SSS), Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), and PhilHealth. 

These agencies will help beneficiaries with job placement and essential pre-employment documents, it said. 

As part of the initiative, graduating members will receive P3,000 in financial assistance to cover the cost of obtaining documents such as NBI and police clearances, PSA-issued birth certificates, and the PhilSys National ID.

At the same time, the DSWD will hold “Pugay Tagumpay” ceremonies to honor graduating 4Ps members, particularly those who have achieved self-sufficiency, as part of their exit from the program.