KORONADAL CITY (MindaNews / 10 February) — Nearly 1,400 contractual workers implementing the 4Ps or Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) are set to become regular government employees within this year, an official said. Mohammad Muktadir Estrella, director general of the Ministry of Social Services and Development (MSSD), stated that the move would ensure the security of tenure for 4Ps workers across the Bangsamoro region who have been serving under the Contract of Service (COS) scheme. The 4Ps program, administered by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DWSD), is the national government’s poverty reduction strategy and human capital investment program that provides conditional cash transfers to poor households. In the Bangsamoro region, the MSSD implements the 4Ps program with cash grants for beneficiaries funded by the national government. Estrella noted that the lack of security of tenure under the COS arrangement has led to high resignation rates among 4Ps workers in BARMM, affecting program delivery as remaining workers became overloaded. “We cannot fault them because they also have to think about themselves, their career growth, and development,” said Estrella. Currently, there are 1,175 COS workers hired by MSSD. To improve program delivery, Estrella stated that MSSD needs at least 1,363 regular positions for the 4Ps program and emphasized that only dedicated workers would be prioritized in the regularization process. MSSD Minister Raissa Jajurie directed a strict screening process for hiring regular 4Ps workers and is set to sign appointments for at least 500 regular workers in March. Estrella added that they aim to fill all 1,363 regular positions by June 2026. The Bangsamoro region includes the provinces of Maguindanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, and Tawi-Tawi, and the cities of Marawi, Lamitan, and Cotabato, with Cotabato City serving as its seat of government since its establishment in 2019. (Bong S. Sarmiento / MindaNews)
