“Dako kaayo ko’g pasalamat sa Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program kay daghan kini’g natabang sa among pamilya, labaw na sa pagpaeskwela sa akong mga anak. Bisan ni graduate nami sa programa magpadayon gihapon kami sa pagpaningkamot ug maghatag inspirasyon sa akong mga kaubanan nga benepisyaryo (I am deeply grateful for the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program as it has greatly helped our family, particularly in supporting my children’s education. Even if we have already graduated from the program, we will continue to persevere and inspire my fellow beneficiaries),” said Ma. Arlene Java.

Ma. Arlene mentioned that their life is significantly different now from the previous. Her husband’s hard work has improved their lives, enabling them to provide a brighter future for their children.

Hardships

Ma. Arlene and Roel Java encountered numerous challenges. They had difficulties managing their finances. At that time, Roel did not have a stable job, leading to occasional struggles in meeting all their children’s needs. Due to the limited income, Ma. Arlene would borrow money from their relatives to provide food for their family.

Their family grew, and their expenses increased. They sometimes struggled to figure out how to make ends meet for their daily needs, especially for school expenses like uniforms, allowances, and other school contributions.

“Sa wala pa mi sa 4Ps, perte gyud namo lisora sa una kay kulang sa balon ug kaon ang akong mga anak. Naglabada pud ko para makapalit sa among mga panginhanlanon kada adlaw (Before 4Ps, life was so difficult for us that my children went to school without enough allowance and food. Hence, I did laundry jobs just to provide our daily necessities),” said Ma. Arlene.

Growing up in an impoverished family, Ma. Arlene has seen how her parents have strived to meet their basic needs. Due to limited resources, she could not sustain her school expenses and eventually stopped her studies. She promised herself that her children would not experience what she went through in life.

4Ps beneficiary

The Java family became one of the beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) in 2012, a poverty alleviation program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) that invests in the health, nutrition, and education of the poor and eligible households.

As the program grantee, Ma. Arlene used the cash grants for the health and education of her monitored children, Kent Harold, Candice Daryle, and Roel Jr. The program helped the family sustain things such as the student’s school needs, food augmentation, and ensuring they were healthy by accessing health services.

Breaking Barriers

The couple dreamed of lifting their family out of poverty and ensuring that their children finish their studies to achieve their dreams in life.

Due to financial difficulties, Roel decided to work in Saudi Arabia. However, going abroad was challenging, as they still needed to borrow money for his departure. The family had a dilemma on where to find the amount to shoulder the expenses since Roel’s salary could not suffice, and they still had debts.

“Ingon sa akong silingan kong naay abroad sa pamilya maayo na daw ang kahimtang, pero dili ingana kadali kay tungod daghan pa gyud kaming mga pagsulay nga naagian (My neighbors said that having a family member working abroad is already considered a good situation, but it was not that easy because we have experienced many trials along the way),” recalled Ma. Arlene.

“Naay mga higayon nga delayed ang sweldo sa akong bana ug mangita ko og kwarta aron ikapalit namo og pagkaon sa akong mga anak tapos naa pa gyud mi gibayran utang atong nahulam namo pagbiyahe ni Roel paingon abroad (There were times when my husband’s salary was delayed and I had to find money to buy food for my children. Additionally, we have to pay the debt we use for Roel’s expenses in going abroad),” added Ma. Arlene

There was an incident when Roel had to return to the Philippines because he got ill. He was admitted to the hospital and found out that he needed to undergo surgery for his gallbladder.

Ma. Arlene was anxious because she did not know where to find the money for the hospital bill. Luckily, as a 4Ps household, they availed themselves of the No Balance Billing (NBB) policy under the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, and they no longer had to shell out money from their own pockets.

Due to his health condition, Roel took a long time to return to work abroad. Their situation became more challenging because they had to start again and be resourceful while the breadwinner had to recuperate.

Ma. Arlene decided to start managing a small sari-sari store as an alternative source of income for the family. She also raised pigs for additional income.

Managing their family expenses, Ma. Arlene ensures that they do not waste their resources and their income will be used for their basic needs, prioritizing food, educational expenses, and other household necessities.

As time passed, Roel recovered and went back abroad. He continued to be a construction worker in Saudi Arabia and sent money to his wife for their family expenses.

Being thrifty and resourceful, Ma. Arlene handled their expenses well and used them to improve their family’s living conditions, including their housing conditions.

Before, they lived in a small and cramped house, but now they reside in a concrete house in Barangay Poog, City of Toledo, Cebu. The family already owns a car, pays off their debts, and supports their children’s education without aid from the government.

“Ang akong pangandoy ra gyud nako nga makab-ot ang mga pangandoy sa akong mga anak ug edukasyon ra gyud ang akong mapamana nila (My dreams for my children was for them to achieve their goals in life, and the only inheritance I can give them is education),” she said.

“Gusto ko nga dili na sila makasulay og kalisod kung moabot ang panahon nga magminyo na sila. Wala mi naningkamot sa ilang amahan nga mapaskwela sila aron makapangayo mi nila og kwarta, naa ra gyud nila kung mohatag sila namo. Ang importante naa silay grado nahuman ug maayo ilang kinabuhi (I do not want them to experience hardship when they get married. My husband and I did not work hard to to send them to school to ask for money from them in return, it is up to them to give us. The important thing is that they have education and a comfortable life),” she added.

The current living conditions of the Java family are more comfortable now than before. The family has sustained their daily needs and other household expenses.

Ma. Arlene taught her children to spend wisely and learn to save money, which will help them prepare for future expenses like medical emergencies.

Fruits of Hard Work

The two children of Arlene and Roel have already graduated from college. Kent Harold, a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering graduate, works at a private institution. Candice Daryle graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy and is currently studying the German language and planning to work in Germany.

The third child, Roel Jr., is currently studying computer engineering, and Justine, the youngest, recently completed senior high school and will take a degree in nursing in college.

With perseverance and resourcefulness, Ma. Arlene’s promise to her younger self has already come to fruition. ###

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