As schools prepare to open on Monday, June 16, workers of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) in Northern Mindanao actively engage with parents and children to encourage school dropouts to return to class.
The 4Ps municipal and city action teams across 93 localities in Northern Mindanao have implemented various strategies to reach children who failed to complete their classes last school year. Some workers joined the Department of Educationโs (DepEd) Brigada Eskwela activities, meeting both parents and students directly. Others mobilized 4Ps Parent Leaders to help track and encourage children within their communities.
As of the School Year 2024, Northern Mindanao recorded a total of 28,022 4Ps-monitored children not attending school (NAS).
Bukidnon posted the highest number of dropouts with 16,511 children, followed by Misamis Oriental with 5,560, Lanao del Norte with 3,611, Misamis Occidental with 2,095, and Camiguin with 245.
Most of these out-of-school children are in senior high school and live in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDA), where long distances and limited access to schools hinder regular attendance while some opted to work and earn a living to help their parents.
To address the growing number of school dropouts, the 4Ps Regional Program Management Office (RPMO) has intensified its “Ali na, Eskwela ‘ta” (Come on, letโs study) campaign. Through this initiative, 4Ps workers consistently encourage parents and guardians to prioritize education and send their children back to school.
The 4Ps RPMO has also strengthened its partnership with DepEd X to reach more families and reinforce the importance of education as a pathway to a better future.
โWe strongly encourage all 4Ps and non-4Ps children to stay in school and finish their studies for a brighter future,โ said 4Ps Regional Program Manager Kenneth Haze S. Lustre.
In San Fernando, Bukidnon alone, the Municipal Action Team (MAT) formed teams to reach out to 868 4Ps children, most of whom live in remote barangays near the Davao del Norte province.
The teams joined the Brigada Eskwela activities in both elementary and secondary schools from Monday to Friday this week.
They hoped that both parents and children would respond to their call to enroll and continue schooling until they complete their studies.
The ongoing campaign reflects 4Ps’ continuing commitment not only to alleviate poverty but also to empower Filipino families through education and long-term development.
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