AGRI Party-list Rep. Wilbert T. Lee hailed the passage of the bill that seeks to include adult education in the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) benefits.
Lee, the principal author of House Bill No. 8497, said the proposed legislation aims to “empower beneficiaries of the 4Ps to enable them to break the intergenerational cycle of poverty” by promoting education among adult beneficiaries through the Alternative Learning System (ALS), entrepreneurship training, and employment training to achieve sustainable development.
The availment of adult education shall commence on the second year of enrollment in the 4Ps.
“Adult education refers to interventions that improve technical or professional qualifications, further develop abilities, acquire or enrich knowledge, skills and competencies in a new field through the Alternative Learning System track, entrepreneurship track, or employment track,” Lee said.
“Sa pamamagitan nito, mabibigyan natin sila ng pagkakataon na makatayo sa sarili nilang mga paa at magkaroon ng maayos na hanapbuhay para sa hinaharap. Hindi na nila kailangang umasa sa doleouts mula sa gobyerno para lamang mabuhay,” he added.
“Kaya naman nagpapasalamat tayo sa ating mga kasamahan sa Kamara sa agarang pagpasa ng panukalang ito. Kapag naging batas ito, siguradong Winner Tayo Lahat, kasama na ang ating mga kababayan na sa kasalukuyan ay nasa dulo ng ating lipunan,” he further said.
The Bicolano lawmaker explained that HB 8497 provides that at least one adult beneficiary per family must join and complete any of the following tracks of adult education:
1) non-formal education through the ALS track of the Department of Education (DepEd);
2) entrepreneurship track of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD); or
3) employment track of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) or their accredited private sector and civil society organizations.
The availment of adult education shall commence on the second year of enrollment in the 4Ps.
The ALS track refers to a parallel learning system that provides a viable alternative to the existing formal education instruction and encompasses both non-formal and informal sources of knowledge and skills.
The entrepreneurship track, meanwhile, refers to interventions which focus on the establishment of micro-enterprise through enhancement of skills, provision of financial capital and building or re-building physical and natural assets, and which covers product development, marketing, and basic business finance.
The employment track refers to programs through which learners and workers are provided with learning opportunities to acquire, upgrade, or both, their ability, knowledge and behavior pattern required as qualifications for a job or range of jobs in a given occupational area.
“Milyon-milyon nating kababayan ang natulungan na ng 4Ps. Narinig na natin ang iba’t ibang success stories ng mga anak na nakapagtapos ng pag-aaral at ngayon ay nakapagtrabaho na. Isipin po natin kung gaano kalaking tulong kung ang mga magulang naman ang matulungan natin na makapagtapos ng pag-aaral, makapaghanapbuhay, at makapagsimula ng negosyo,” Lee had previously said.
“Pamumuhunan ito sa kakayahan at kinabukasan ng mamamayan, lalo na ang mas nangangailangan. We are proud to have pushed for this important bill that makes adult education, livelihood, and entrepreneurship skills training part of the 4Ps benefit package, which is limited to a maximum of seven years in the program.”
