BUTUAN CITY – The 55,711 household beneficiaries of “Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program” or 4Ps vowed to fight poverty and continue their care of this government’s poverty alleviation program, said Northern Mindanao Social Development Information Officer 1 Recthie B. Tolinero on Sunday.

Tolinero said the 4Ps beneficiaries voiced their unified statement during the culmination of the National Week of Overcoming Extreme Poverty and to support the “Stand United, Fight Poverty” campaign all over the region.

Aside from other cities and provinces in Northern Mindanao, Cagayan de Oro City alone has at least 5,431 4Ps beneficiaries who participated in 27 Pantawid village assemblies.

“The 4Ps beneficiaries gathered and pledged to take action in fighting poverty,” said Tolinero.

The social and development regional information officer said testimonies of beneficiaries regarding their experience with the government’s poverty alleviation program and how it stimulated them to combat poverty.

During the weeklong series of activities, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) officials in the region also discussed the roles of the parents particularly the mothers in overcoming extreme poverty.

“The answer to poverty comes from one’s self and by strictly complying with the conditions set by the program, the beneficiaries will surely realize the greater scope for social change entailed in the program. We celebrate the National Week for Overcoming Extreme Poverty so that we can proudly say that with our little efforts and with the aid from the government, we will not remain this poor most especially when we will really strive hard,” added Tolinero.