“Tinuod gyud nga dili makab-ot ang kalampusan sa usa ka tibuok gabii ug daghang adlaw ug gabii pa ang sagubangon aron makab-ot kini (Indeed, it is true that success does not happen overnight; it takes many days and nights just to achieve it),” said June Rey Aguilar.

June Rey recalled that before the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), their family was poor and lived in Sirawai in Zamboanga Del Norte. He shared that his parents could only afford necessities, and buying extra shoes was already a luxury.

Growing up, he has seen his father cry in the middle of the night, hugging every one of them, for he thinks he failed as a father, especially in providing a comfortable life for the family.

“There were times that we were at our lowest because we used mantika and toyo as our viand. I will never forget those moments in our lives and use them as inspiration to improve our living conditions so that we will not remain a poor family forever. As a young kid at that time, I was full of hope that someday I would fulfill my dreams,” added June Rey.

A family of nine members – seven children and parents, the Aguilar family live in a house made of light materials with a vegetable garden as the family’s source of income.

His father, Julio Aguilar, works in a lumber company and tends to their family farm after work. His mother, Vilma Aguilar, manages the household chores and looks after the children.

“My parents also came from a family of farmers. My grandfather always discouraged my father from studying and told him to focus on farming. My father never wavered and continued going to school. From grade 1 to his first year in college, my father supported himself in pursuing his education. Until he decided to stop studying because his school location was far from their home, and his savings could no longer support his education,” said June Rey.

June Rey shared that despite limited resources, they are a happy family. “Our parents taught us to care and help each other because when the hard moments come, your family is the one you can lean on,” recalled June Rey.

4Ps beneficiary

In 2009, the family became part of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps). It is a social safety net program of the Philippine government patterned after the successful conditional cash transfer (CCT) program in Brazil, Latin America, and Africa.

For June Rey, the cash grants they received every payment period have augmented their family needs, especially in purchasing food and educational needs like school supplies, uniforms, and allowance.

Every time Vilma received the cash grant from 4Ps, she prioritized purchasing necessities like meat and fish and her children’s needs like school projects and materials, especially for the three (3) monitored children, including June Rey, Junel, and Jasmin.

Furthermore, he also observed that his mother attends the monthly family development sessions (FDS), which provide psychosocial and educational input for the parents, facilitated by the DSWD-assigned staff like the Municipal Link.

The dedication of their Municipal Link and how her work touched people’s lives, especially in helping impoverished families improve their lives through the 4Ps, inspired him to pursue social work.

“In many of their FDS sessions where I had the chance to accompany my mother and to observe them, I was fascinated by how the Municipal Link managed the discussion and how the 4Ps parents listened intently and responded to the questions. I thought this is the kind of job I want to do someday,” he said.

Pursuing a college education was a different challenge for the family. Since the family’s income could not sustain all the children’s education, June Rey’s elder sisters had to find jobs to support their college education for their tuition fees and allowance.

Social Worker

Eventually, June Rey took up a social work course at the Western Mindanao State University (WMSU) in Zamboanga City with the support of her two elder sisters.

He diligently pursued his chosen course because he knew he could not just waste his parents and sister’s money and effort to support his college education. All his siblings strived in their studies and agreed not to get married unless the sibling next to them had already graduated from college.

In 2018, June Rey finished his studies and passed the licensure examination within the same year. He then worked as an encoder in the DSWD Field Office IX for three (3) months and as a local youth development worker in his hometown.

Considering his professional growth and development, June Rey applied to DSWD Field Office VII, based in Cebu. DSWD took him in as Social Welfare Officer II assigned at the Area Vocational Rehabilitation Center (AVRC) II, a non-residential institution managed by DSWD that provides various vocational courses to persons with disabilities (PWDs).

After almost two (2) years working in AVRC II, he applied for a municipal link position, got hired, and now works his dream job as a municipal link under 4Ps assigned in Madridejos, a coastal municipality in the northern part of Cebu.

As the Municipal Link, he primarily maintains and monitors the caseload assigned to him, including the enrollment of 4P households, monitoring their compliance with different program conditionalities, conducting the monthly FDS, administering the Social Welfare and Development Indicator (SWDI), and coordinating with program stakeholders like the local government unit (LGU).

“Having been part of the 4Ps as a child beneficiary and now as a DSWD worker under the program, I have witnessed impoverished families uplifted from poverty. I am beyond grateful for the support of the program to our family in terms of cash assistance and also for the knowledge and skills shared during the FDS. The program provided us a fighting chance to pursue our dreams in life,” he said.

As a former 4Ps monitored child, June Rey was amazed at witnessing the growth and achievements of his family through the years.

His eldest sister, Jovelyn, is a licensed agriculturist working in the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), while his sister, Jenny, finished a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science. Another sister, Jona, graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and is now a chemical technician.

Next to June Rey is Junel, who graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Marine Transportation and is presently applying for a job. His two younger siblings, Jasmin and Mark Daniel, are fourth-year students taking up a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and a Grade 6 student, respectively.

“Our dreams serve as our compass and guide as we continue our journey. Indeed, it was a fulfilled dream for myself and my family. I hope I can continue helping more disadvantaged families so they can also achieve their dreams and aspirations just like our family,” said June Rey. ###

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