When you hear the term “4Ps” or “Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program,” you are probably thinking about financial assistance, which is correct. After all, 4Ps is a conditional cash transfer (CCT) type of program that provides financial aid to low income, impoverished Filipino households.
Aside from the financial aspect, however, the 4Ps program has a psychosocial and psycho-educational aspect, as well. This comes in the form of Family Development Sessions, or FDS. In this article, we will take a closer look at what an FDS is, who participates in it, what topics are discussed, and what its main goals are.
Image Credit: Department of Social Welfare and Development / Facebook
What are Family Development Sessions?
The Family Development Session or FDS is a monthly parent group activity that is attended by the main 4Ps grantee of a household, usually the mother. It aims to enhance their parenting capabilities, while encouraging them to be more active citizens of society.
Topics discussed during Family Development Sessions include: strengthening marital relationships, parenting roles, health and nutrition, children’s educational and psychosocial needs, and promotion of family values, among others.
Attendance to FDS is one of the conditions of the 4Ps program. Sessions are implemented and monitored monthly by the City or Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office (C/MSWDO).
Goals and Objectives
Based on DSWD Memorandum Circular No. 22, Series of 2018, entitled, “Enhanced Guidelines on the Implementation of the Family Development Sessions of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program,” here are the goals and objectives of the FDS:
The main goal of Family Development Sessions is to strengthen the capacities of the Pantawid families, particularly the parents/grantees, to become more responsive to the health and educational needs of the family and their children.
Specifically, Family Development Sessions seek to:
- Enhance the basic knowledge, attitudes, and skills or parents/household grantees on familial and parental responsibilities;
- Inculcate positive values and attitudes towards the individual, family, and community, especially on the rights and welfare of women, children, indigenous peoples (IPs), persons with disabilities (PWDs), and other vulnerable groups;
- Encourage peer support and monitoring for improvement of their level of well-being and strengthening of parent groups;
- Strengthen the parent groups’ capacities in networking, cooperation, collaboration, accessing of support services, and community participation and development;
- Provide a venue/strategy for convergence of other interventions, programs, and services that will contribute to the improvement of the well-being of Pantawid families; and
- Provide venue for monitoring compliance/updating of household data and facilitating response to grievances and complaints.
Image Credit: Department of Social Welfare and Development / Facebook
Target Areas and Participants
Family Development Sessions (FDS) are conducted all over the country, in all the covered areas of the 4Ps program.
The main grantee of the program, usually the mother, shall serve as the principal or permanent FDS attendee. The family may also assign an alternate FDS attendee; this could be the spouse of the main grantee or any adult living within the same household and directly involved in taking care of the children beneficiaries.
The FDS is attended by a “Parent Group,” which is comprised of up to 40 members who are main grantees of the 4Ps program. Each group is headed by a Parent Leader and an Assistant Parent Leader.
FDS Learning Materials
When conducting Family Development Sessions, facilitators refer to a main guide or manual, along with several supplemental materials.
1. Guide to Filipino Family Development
The main manual for conducting FDS is titled “Gabay sa Pagpapaunlad ng Pamilyang Pilipino” (Guide to Filipino Family Development). This manual contains the following modules:
- Laying the Foundation of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program. This first module provides an overview of the 4Ps program.
- Preparing and Nurturing the Filipino Family. This module focuses on strengthening and enabling families to become active participants in facilitating change.
- Participation of the Filipino Family in Community Development. This module discusses how partner beneficiaries can actively participate in community development.
2. Supplemental Materials
In support of the main manual, the following modules serve as supplemental materials or additional guides in conducting the FDS:
- Appreciating Early Childhood Enrichment (Early Childhood Care and Development Manual);
- Pagiging Mabuting Pilipino (Active Citizenship Module);
- Modyul Ukol sa Kapansanan (Module on Disabilities);
- Gabay at Mapa para sa Listong Pamilya;
- Child Sexual Abuse Prevention (CSAP) Modules;
- FDS Module on Child Labor;
- Enhanced Module on Sanitation (module on Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene or WASH);
- Food and Nutrition Module;
- FDS Module on Social Preparation for Recertification;
- Session Guide on Tuberculosis Awareness;
- Regional IP (Indigenous Peoples) Modules;
- Family and Community-Based Disaster Preparedness Module;
- Empowerment and Re-affirmation of Paternal Abilities (ERPAT) Manual;
- Parenting Effectiveness Sessions (PES) Modules;
- Parenting the Adolescent Manual (PAM);
- Positive Discipline Manuals;
- Social Preparation Module of the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP); and
- Other modules developed by the National Program Management Office (NPMO) and Regional Program Management Office (RPMO).
NOTE: FDS materials may be translated into the local or vernacular language, for easier communication and better understanding of the participants.
Sample eFDS Lessons
Just to give you an idea about the topic discussed during Family Development Sessions, here are a couple of excerpts from “eFDS” lessons. Notably, eFDS is an alternative method of conducting the sessions; these were implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic.
1. Saving for the Future
Below is an excerpt from an eFDS lession on saving for the future. It talks about the importance of budgeting, different ways of saving money, and creating a savings plan for the whole family.
2. One-on-One Time with Kids
Meanwhile, here is an excerpt from an eFDS lession about spending quality time with kids. It defines the term “one-on-one time,” how it can be done, and how it affects parents’ relationships with their children.
Video: About Family Development Sessions
The following video shared by “Pantawid Pamilya MIMAROPA” YouTube channel talks about Family Development Sessions (FDS) under the 4Ps program. It discusses topics such as FDS principles, parent groups, session methodology, and so on.
Final Thoughts
The Family Development Session (FDS) is a vital part of 4Ps. Whereas educational grants and health grants comprise the financial aspect, the FDS represents the psychosocial and psycho-educational aspect of the program. Through these sessions, grantees can improve their parenting capabilities, while becoming more active participants in their communities at the same time.
To learn more about FDS, please visit the official website or follow the official Facebook page of the 4Ps program.
Speaking of FDS, one of the topics discussed during these sessions is financial literacy. In this article, a 4Ps member learns the habit of “save before you spend.” Do check it out!