MALITA, Davao Del Sur (PNA) — The government’s poverty-alleviating “Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program” or 4Ps in this municipality of Davao del Sur has evolved into an environmentally friendly program that helps minimize the ill-effects of modernization.

This developed after Noel Hubac, a local government unit (LGU) focal person in this municipality, led a bamboo-planting activity in Barangay Felis, which is identified as a flood-prone area, as part of the 4Ps.

It was learned that the activity was introduced by Municipal Mayor Benjamin Bautista early this year.

Hubac said around 460 seedlings from the Department of Agriculture (DA) were planted along the riverbanks of the said village.

“They decided to have this project for protection from calamities like floods,” Hubac said.

“The residents of the area regard this as a sustainable activity. They even placed corresponding numbers on the seedlings so that those concerned can look after their seedlings. We monitor this every month,” he added.

Hubac said this bamboo-planting activity is also open to all non-government organizations (NGOs), LGU officials and employees, and members of the religious sector.

He noted the 4Ps has brought significant changes in the lives of the beneficiaries.

The 4Ps is a poverty-alleviation strategy of the national government through the Department of Social Welfare and Development aimed at helping improve the lives of extremely poor households in the country by providing cash subsidies intended for the health and education of children with ages zero to 14 years old.