Despite the hardships they have to go through to provide for their family’s needs, James Marimat and Luzviminda Marimat have instilled in their children’s minds the importance of education.

“Wala gyud mi nakahuman og eskwela sa akong bana kay gikan pud mi sa pobre nga pamilya mao nga naninguha kami sa akong bana nga makahuman og eskwela ang among mga anak (We were not able to finish our education because we came from a poor family, and that is why we persevere in order for our children to finish their studies),” shared Luzviminda.

From Pampanga to Cebu

James and Luzviminda met in Manila while James was working as a laborer in an ice plant. In their first year as husband and wife, they realized that James’ salary was not enough to sustain their needs, especially since they already had their first child.

The couple then decided to transfer to Porac, Pampanga, where Luzviminda came from. She recalled that when they settled down in her hometown, James immediately worked as a farmer.

As the province is known for its vast agricultural land, James took the opportunity and immersed himself as a rice farmer. He toiled in the rice paddy and became “manggagapas” during the harvest season while Luzviminda took care of the children at home.

Since James’ income depends on whether the landowner will hire his labor, the family had a hard time managing their finances. Luzviminda would prioritize buying food over non-essential things.

Realizing that his income could not satisfy the needs of their growing family, the couple then decided to transfer residence again. This time to James’s hometown in Oslob, Cebu.

“Tungod sa kalisod sa among kahimtang didto, nidesisyon kami nga mobalhin sa Cebu niadtong 2007 ug magsugod og bag-ong kinabuhi diri sa Oslob (Because of our dire situation, we decided to transfer to Cebu in 2007 and start a new life here in Oslob),” said Luzviminda.

The Marimat family settled in Barangay Tan-awan, a fishing village in the southern part of Cebu, and James, as the sole provider of the family, shifted his gears again from a farmer in Pampanga to a fisherman in Oslob.

“Maulaw paman ko sa una kay dili pako kabalo mosulti og Bisaya mao nga diri lang ko sa balay ga-atiman sa akong mga anak samtang akong bana managat (I was shy before because I did not know how to speak Bisaya and that is why I just stayed at home taking care of our children while my husband went fishing),” she recalled.

James would usually catch different kinds of fish and would later sell at least two (2) kilos of fish in the market or in their neighborhood. The remaining caught fish would be their viand for the day.

To augment the family’s income and to ensure he could provide food for his five children, James would also do an extra job as a tricycle driver.

The family’s income would later be augmented when their foreign neighbor asked Luzviminda to be the caretaker of their house while they were abroad.

It was a bit of luck for the Marimat family when their barangay rose to national prominence because of the whale shark, or “butanding” watching tourism activity. Foreign and local tourists flock to Oslob, where they are curious to have a glimpse of the so-called “gentle giants” of the sea.

The house that was being taken care of by Luzviminda was turned into a pension house for tourists who would like to rent it while visiting their town. She would also ask her children to help her clean the house every time it was occupied by tourists.

4Ps beneficiary

When the family became one of the beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) in 2011, a poverty alleviation program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Luzviminda was able to use the cash grant intended for education and health for her children, specifically for James Paul, James Benedict, and Jake, as they were the three monitored children under the program.

She was also chosen as one of the 4Ps parent leaders in their barangay who is tasked with helping the 4Ps Municipal Link to disseminate relevant information to her co-4Ps partner-beneficiaries.

Touched by the vote of confidence from her co-4Ps partner-beneficiaries, she gained self-esteem and used this opportunity to mingle with them and further learn how to speak Bisaya.

Future Certified Public Accountant

 James Paul has witnessed his parents’ tireless efforts to meet their basic needs.

“Among atop sa una daghang buslot ug kung mag-uwan may-iyahay nalang mi balhin sa walay tulo  (Our roof before had many holes, and every time it would rain, we would just find an area where there was no hole),” recalled James Paul.

“Niabot sad ang point nga kung wala gani sud-an nga isda, magsud-an mi og fish crackers aron lang naay pares sa kan-on (It reached a point that there was no fish available for viand; we ate our rice with fish crackers),” added James Paul.

When James Paul decided to pursue his university education in Cebu City, he was happy that both of his parents were supportive of his chosen course.

Determined to reach his dreams, he applied for an academic scholarship at the University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R), where he plans to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Accountancy (BSA). He is also one of the beneficiaries of the Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES), a grant-in-aid program of the government that supports the cost of tertiary education for Filipino students.

“Dako gyud ang tabang sa mga programa sa gobyerno kay naka-benefit ko sugod sa 4Ps ug karun nga naapil ko sa TES. I don’t think maabot ko sa punto karun without the help of those government programs (The different government programs really help us a lot because I was one of those who benefited, starting with 4Ps and now with TES. I do not think I would have reached this point now without the help of those government programs),” said James Paul.

Currently, in his final year at university, he vowed that he would finish his course and dedicate his success to his parents.

Self-sufficient level

The family renovated their house, which was made of light materials with roof punctures, and now lives in a semi-concrete house.

Through James and Luzviminda’s resilience and determination, they were able to sustain their children’s education.

Their eldest son, James Francis, is now a seafarer and already has his own family but also sends financial support to his parents. Carlota Jane, the second child, is a licensed teacher. She lives with her own family in Olango Island and also sends school allowance to her three younger siblings.

The third child, James Paul, is a graduating student, while James Benedict, the fourth child, is a first-year culinary arts student at the University of Cebu (UC). The remaining 4Ps monitored child, Jake, is an incoming grade 9 student.

“Wala nako pangandoy sa akong kaugalingon, ang importante makahuman ang akong tulo pa ka anak ug magtinabangay gihapon sila (I do not have any more wishes for myself; what is important is that my three children will be able to finish their education and they will help each other),” she underscored.

Luzviminda also found her own calling as one of the barangay councilors and now empowers fellow mothers and housewives in their community. She lobbied for a budget to fund rice retail for their women’s association.

She shared that there has already been a big change in their family since they became part of 4Ps, and she said that their family is now ready to exit from the program. ###

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