“Kinalisoran gyud ang among kahimtang sa panahon nga wala pami sa programa kay nag abot gyud ang tulo namo ka anak sa pag eskwela sa college. Hasta pagpangita og sud-an maglisod mi tungod sa kawad-on (Our situation was challenging when we were not yet enrolled in the program, as all three of our children were pursuing their college education. Even providing viand for our meals was difficult due to financial difficulties),” recounted Leonila Ido, a 48-year-old mother of five.

Living in the town of Sierra Bullones in Bohol, Leonila reminisced that life before becoming Pantawid Pamiyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) was tough for her family as they had difficulties looking for food to serve at their family’s table and sustaining the education of their five (5) children.

Leonila and her husband Baltazar worked together to meet their family’s needs despite various challenges at the early stage of marriage and had just begun building their family.

The couple had no regular source of income, and they only depended on their earnings from their vegetable garden and raising livestock as farmers, whose income was insufficient to pay for all of their five children’s school expenses.

According to Leonila, there were times before when their children had to go to school without pocket money to buy snacks and other school supplies.

“Our kids did not have enough school supplies, and occasionally, they brought cooked vegetables for lunch at school. As much as I want them to participate in different co-curricular activities in school, we cannot afford to buy or purchase needed materials,” added Leonila.

She said that their primary priority is to provide food on their table and that they can eat three (3) times a day.

The family experienced more difficulty when three of their children started to enroll in college and pursue their chosen courses.

However, Leonila and Baltazar’s desire for all of their children to complete their education continued to dominate their thoughts. For them, education would be the key to improving their lives.

Becoming 4Ps beneficiaries

With the advent of 4Ps and becoming a family beneficiary of the program in March 2023, the cash grant they received became a lifebuoy for the family so they would not be buried in debt due to many financial requirements, especially in sustaining their children’s education.

“Ang tayming sa pag abot sa programa sa among kinabuhi insakto kaayo nga gihatag sa Ginoo kay tulo namo ka mga anak kadtung panahona nagdungan sa college. Bisan dili sila ang na monitor sa programa apan ang kwarta nga among nadawat kay gi budget gyud nako aron masiguro nga makahuman og eskwela sila sa college kay mao man ang dako og gasto (The arrival of the program in our family was right on time because three of our children during that time were all studying in college. Even though they were not beneficiaries of the program, I carefully managed the cash grant we received to ensure they would finish their college course),” said Leonila.

Leonila stated that the cash grant they received, particularly for health, education, and rice subsidy, provided their children with the necessities like food, clothes, and allowance to attend school.

“Nahimo gyud nga murag salbadiba ang programa aron dili kami malumos sa mga galastuhan ug makapadayun mi langoy sa suba sa kinabuhi (The program served as our lifebuoy for us not to drown with the many expenses, and could continue to swim in the river of life),” underscored Leonila.

Leonila has continued to grow vegetables in their farm and sell them within their community and some nearby areas.

Baltazar also cultivated on their rice farm and sold some of the produce as their income. They also continued to raise cattle and pigs, which is quite helpful in paying some of the expenses at home and school.

The combined income of the couple increased and greatly helped in supporting their daily expenses, home improvements, and their children’s education.

“Sa pagkakaron, dili na gyud apiki among pangita, ilabi na naay dugang abag pinaagi sa 4Ps (Presently, we are no longer on a tight budget, especially since there is augmentation support through 4Ps),” said Leonila.

“Sukad pagsugod hangtud karon wala ko nagkalisud sa pagtuman sa mga kondisyones niining programa. Ang akong mga bata maayo ang performance sa eskwelahan ug wala nausik ang hinabang gikan sa gobyerno (Ever since our enrollment in the 4Ps program, I have found no challenges in meeting all program requirements. All of my children have excelled academically, demonstrating the responsible use of the financial assistance provided by the government),” stated Leonila.

An Improved Family

Apart from being a member of a women’s group, Leonila has been an active member of different associations. She had participated in many developmental activities in Sierra Bullones, including the monthly Family Development Session (FDS).

She is also proud of her children’s achievements and praises their efforts in pursuing their education despite the many challenges.

Ronalyn, the eldest, and Roniza, the second eldest daughter, finished their Bachelor of Secondary Education at the Bohol Island State University in Bilar campus. Both also passed the licensure examination for teachers and are currently waiting for an available teaching position in the Department of Education (DepEd).

While waiting for a slot in DepEd, Ronalyn works at a store in Tagbilaran City. Roniza got hired by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

Jimboi, the third child, is a third-year college student at Trinidad Municipal College, pursuing a bachelor’s degree in criminology, followed by Jonel, a first-year college student taking the same course. The youngest son and the remaining monitored child, Jayfel, is a grade 8 student at Bugsoc High School.

The hardships of life and the positive outlook of Leonila and Baltazar inspired their children to be on top of their classes.

“Nagagikan natong mga ginikanan ang kalig-on sa atong pamilya. Adunay damgo nga kab-uton ug plano unsaon siya pagkab-ot ug dili kita masugot nga magpabilin atong pamilya sa kalisud hangtud sa hangtud (The family’s strength comes from us parents. We have our own dreams and we should also have plans to reach that dreams and we should never allow our family to remain poor forever),” said Leonila. ###

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