The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office IV-A has recently launched the conduct of the Youth Development Sessions (YDS) for the high school beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program.

The said launching was conducted last November 16 in Tanauan City High School in Batangas Province.

A total of 152 high school students from the said city attended the activity and were the first batch of beneficiaries to attend a YDS in the CALABARZON Region.

The YDS is a new component of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program after its expansion of age coverage to children up to 18 years old or until they finish high school, whichever comes first. The YDS is crafted specifically for the children age 15-18 to help provide them with basic knowledge, develop their attitude and hone their skills in facing life’s challenges.

According to Dir. Annie Mendoza, Asst. Regional Director for Operations of the DSWD IV-A, the YDS will help ensure that the student-beneficiaries of the program will develop a deeper sense of self-awareness, particularly in providing value to their education.

“The DSWD acknowledges that educating the youth will help in improving the lives of the beneficiaries. The educational attainment of a person provides better opportunities for high paying jobs and sustainable livelihood. Hence, the DSWD invests on helping the youth, through the YDS, in reaching their potentials,” said Dir. Mendoza.

In her message to the beneficiaries, Dir. Mendoza emphasized the role of the beneficiaries in helping achieve change in their lives.

“Success lies in the hands of partner-beneficiaries. Every one should ensure that the youth are provided good education up to high school and beyond,” she said.

In the conduct of the YDS, the DSWD has been in partnership with national government agencies such as the Department of Education, local government units and civil society organizations.

Ms. Edna Mendoza, representative from the DepEd, shared that the agency is in full support to the DSWD’s youth development sessions for their students.

To date, there are 70,060 child-beneficiaries who are age 15-18 in the CALABARZON Region. Of this number, 17,874 child-beneficiaries are in Batangas Province.# with reports from FCanayao