The Department of Social Welfare and Development's Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) has a total of 4.4 million household beneficiaries across the country. Recently, Angeline Ilagan from Imus, Cavite, has emerged as an academic achiever through this program.

Angeline, a former monitored child of the DSWD 4Ps, secured the 2nd top spot in the February 2024 Criminologist Licensure Examination (CLE). She finished her Bachelor of Science in Criminology from the Cavite State University.

“We are proud of Angeline and we congratulate her for this achievement. She is the latest addition to the list of former 4Ps monitored children who have topped various board examinations,” DSWD Assistant Secretary for Strategic Communications Romel Lopez, who is also the agency spokesperson, said on Tuesday, 12 March.

As of the latest count by the 4Ps National Program Management Office under Director Gemma Gabuya, the government’s anti-poverty flagship program has already produced 41 topnotchers in different fields across the country.

Since 2016 up to the present, the 4Ps now has 32,000 college graduates. Of this number, 82 graduated Magna Cum Laude; 1,135 Cum Laude; and 132 finished their collegiate course with Special Distinctions.

Angeline, together with her twin sister, Angelica, has been a 4Ps monitored child since Grade 5. She said that 4Ps had helped her and her twin sister, Angelica, met their school needs until their senior year.

“Lahat po ng pagsisikap at pagod ko sa pag-aaral ay para po sa aking pamilya (All my perseverance and sacrifices to study are for my family),” Angeline said.

Aside from Angeline, 28 other 4Ps monitored children from various regions passed the CLE. One of them is Precious Anne Aguyen, who graduated Cum Laude from the F.L. Vargas College Inc. in Abulug Campus, Cagayan province.

The board passers are now part of the 4Ps roster of board examination passers numbering to 4,142, as of March.

“We also extend our congratulations to these board passers,” Asst. Sec. Lopez said.

Lopez said the achievement of these former monitored children of 4Ps is a testament that the program is on track of its objective to break the inter-generational cycle of poverty through education.

“Ang tagumpay na nakamit ng mga batang ito ay isang patunay na ang 4Ps, lalo na ang aspeto ng programa na investment sa edukasyon ay nakatutulong sa ating mahihirap na kababayan upang mapataas ang antas ng kanilang pamumuhay (The success achieved by these children is proof that the 4Ps, especially the aspect of the program that invests in education, contributes to improving the quality of life of our poor and marginalized countrymen),” the spokesperson said.

4Ps is the flagship program of the national government on poverty reduction and social development implemented by the DSWD.

It provides cash grants to extremely poor households to improve their health, nutrition, and education, particularly for children aged 0 to18.