ON the strength of an overwhelming 236 yes votes in the plenary, House Bill (HB) No. 8497 or the measure promoting inclusive education, entrepreneurship, and employment for sustainable development among adult beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program or 4Ps has been approved on third and final reading.

The measure, passed on Tuesday, amends for the purpose Republic Act (RA) No. 11310, or the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program Act.

“4Ps is the national government’s flagship poverty reduction initiative. The bill amends Section 2 of RA No.11310 so that the law may promote education among adult male beneficiaries through alternative learning system, entrepreneurship training, and employment training to achieve sustainable development,” Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez, head of the 311-strong House of Representatives, said.

Speaker Romualdez said it further provides that the community mobilization grant, which refers to a conditional cash transfer that is used to finance meals and transportation related to the availment of adult education, “must not be lower than P500 per instance per adult beneficiary of the adult education program”.

Some of the principal authors are Reps. Wilbert Lee, Gus Tambunting, Eleanor Bulut-Begtang, Linabelle Ruth Villarica, Mikee Romero, Luz Mercado, Samuel Verzosa Jr., Jose Maria Zubiri Jr., Anna York Bondoc, Irene Gay Saulog, Edsel Galeos, Dante Garcia, Munir Arbison Jr., Sittie Aminah, Rosanna Vergara, JC Abalos, Joseph Stephen Paduano, Arlene Brosas, and Manuel Jose Dalipe.

The 4Ps law currently provides conditional cash transfer grants of at least P300 per month per child for a maximum of 10 months per year for children enrolled in day care and elementary programs, at least P500 per month per child for up to 10 months per year for children enrolled in junior high school, and at least P700 per month per child for up to 10 months per year for senior high school.

The approved measure gave further details on the proposed adult education component of the 4Ps law, as it indicated that “at least one adult beneficiary 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). 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; 2) Entrepreneurship track of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). This 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; or 3) Employment track of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) or their accredited private sector and civil society organizations.

This 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.

“The availment of adult education shall commence on the second year pf enrollment in the 4Ps,” it further said.

As per the bill, 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 alternative learning system track, entrepreneurship track or employment track.

The measure also provides for post skills training following the beneficiaries’ completion of their selected adult education track.

It said that adult education beneficiaries who successfully completed the entrepreneurship track shall be given assistance by the DTI to ensure ease of establishing a micro or small business enterprise and the link to the target clientele of the 4Ps entrepreneur.

Meanwhile, the adult education beneficiaries who successfully completed the employment track shall be given job facilitation assistance by the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE).

Lastly, the adult education beneficiaries who successfully completed non-formal education using the ALS track by the DepEd until they finish senior high school shall be given assistance to ensure their pursuit of higher learning or employment.