“Dako ang akong pasalamat nga naapil ang akong pamilya sa Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program kay nakatabang gyud kini kanamo sa hinay-hinay nga pagkab-ot sa among mga pangandoy para sa among mga anak (I am deeply thankful that our family was included in the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, as it has helped us slowly realize our aspirations for our children),” said Alma Magalso.
Life before 4Ps
The Magalso family experienced an extremely challenging life from 2013 to 2014.
Alma and her husband, Lisandro, had just started their married life and had no place to live they called their own. The couple temporarily stayed with Lisandro’s family, which made things even more difficult.
“Lisod kaayo ang mangipon sa mga in-laws. Gawas nga wala silay tarong trabaho, akong bana ra ang gisaligan ug ang trabaho laborer lang. Mokita og ginagmay nga income aron makahatag sa adlaw-adlaw nga panginahanglanon (Living with my in-laws is very challenging, especially given their lack of steady employment and my husband as the sole breadwinner in the family and only working as a laborer. He only earns a meager income, making it hard to meet our daily needs),” recalled Alma.
Their circumstances got worse, especially when Lisandro got infected with an unknown illness.
“Nawad-an ko og paglaum atong panahona kay nagtuo ko nga dili na maayo akong bana (At the time, I felt so hopeless because I thought my husband would never recover from his illness),” said Alma.
Alma faced a dilemma during that difficult time. They had no money for treatment, and the parents of Lisandro could not provide financial help. The kind support of Alma’s late biological mother, who lived in Talisay City, Cebu, had been the only thing that kept them going. Despite her limited resources, it helped them cover the medical expenses of Lisandro.
Alma vividly recalled the profound support she received from her mother. During treatment, they temporarily relocated from Moalboal to Talisay City, Cebu.
After his recovery, Lisandro and Alma returned to Moalboal in 2015. Alma’s mother provided financial assistance in helping them construct their own house. Though a small house, they found comfort in having a place to call their own. The couple managed to sustain their family by working on their farm and planting corn and sweet potatoes to provide for their daily necessities.
Before, people described Alma and Lisandro as inactive citizens, with her husband being too shy to participate in community gatherings.
Initially, when Alma was new in Moalboal, she primarily focused on home responsibilities and had little time for community activities. However, their behavior and practices transformed when the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) came into their lives.
“Pagsugod, nagduha-duha ko og dawat sa role nako sa komunidad kay feeling nako dili nako kaya i-handle ug hangtud sa nakat-on nako, sayon nalang para nako karon (At first, I hesitated to accept my role in the community because I felt that I could not handle it until I learned the ropes, and now it is easy for me),” Alma said with a smile.
4Ps Journey
In 2016, the family Magalso felt so grateful when they were selected to be part of the newly registered households under the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
“Malipayon kaayo mi niadtong higayona nga naapil ang among pamilya kay kahibalo mi nga makaabag kaayo ni og dako sa among panginahanglanon ilabi na gayud sa pagpaeskwela sa among duha ka anak (We were delighted at that moment when we got registered in the program because we knew that it could help us a lot with our basic needs, especially, sending our children two children to school),” said Alma.
Inclusion in the program supported the family’s health and education aspects and encouraged Alma to become more engaged and involved in the community. Initially hesitant to take on the role of a 4Ps parent leader, she bravely grabbed the given opportunity and the trust placed in her abilities.
Alma served as a 4Ps parent leader in the program while serving as a barangay health worker (BHW) in Barangay Busay in their town. At first, she felt managing two tasks was difficult, but she eventually adapted to it.
In addition, Alma assumed the role of secretary when she became part of the Busay Moalboal Sustainable Livelihood Association (BMSLA) under the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) in 2023. The group established a general merchandise store, which helped her provide additional income to their family. Her husband, Lisandro, currently works as a janitor in one of the private establishments in Cebu City.
The ability to be a dedicated community development worker has grown significantly, resulting from Alma’s active involvement in community activities. She inspires her fellow 4Ps beneficiaries to be active citizens and encourages them to work for the development of their community, especially in the health and education aspects.
With her husband and children’s support, she has demonstrated remarkable dedication and active participation in all the organizations she has affiliated with. Whether it is barangay or town activities, she consistently takes the initiative and is always present, contributing wholeheartedly to the success of each endeavor.
“Bisan dunay mga kalisod, nakit-an nako ang akong katuyoan isip usa ka inihan, asawa, ug usa ka babaye pinaagi sa paghatag sa akong tanan sa akong pamilya ug sa komunidad nga akong gipuy-an (Despite the many challenges, I find fulfillment as a mother, wife, and a woman through giving everything that I could to my family and to the community I live in),” underscored Alma.
Alma hoped her two children, Xander and Xandrea, would continue to be good in their studies because she did everything for their future.
Furthermore, the 4Ps’ Family Development Sessions (FDS) and the training of the beneficiaries greatly enhanced Alma’s development into an empowered, productive, and self-confident woman. Alma understands they still have a long way to go to achieve self-sufficiency, but they are already on the right path toward success. ###
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