Dreaming is a luxury, most especially for someone born in poverty.

Ann Millennie Antoque witnessed at a young age that life is never a walk in the park, but rather about overcoming challenges that life throws at you. This young woman from Toledo City was not born with a silver spoon, yet she is hopeful that one day her dreams will come true.

Despite being studious in her lessons at school, a lot of adversities kept on pulling her down. When Ann was still in grade school, she barely had school supplies and often cannot participate in school activities that require fees and other school contributions.

She understands the limited resources of their family, but she also sees the hard work and determination of her parents just to provide for the family’s basic needs.

“Dako ang akong pasalamat kay bisan tuod wala ko nahimugso sa datu nga pamilya apan kanunay ang sakripisyo ug pagpaningkamot sa akong mga ginikanan (I am grateful even though I was not born into a rich family, but I know the constant sacrifices and persistence of my parents),” said Ann Millennie.

Perseverance

Ann’s father, Anacleto Antoque Sr., works as a driver while her mother, Annabelle Antoque, augments the family’s income through her mini sari-sari store at home.

Along with Ann, the couple also has three sons who are equally studious and determined to finish their studies.

“Wala gyud koy yuta o bisan unsa nga bahandi nga akong mahatag sa akong mga anak maong buhaton ko gyud ang tanan mahatagan ko lang sila og maayong edukasyon alang sa ilang mahayag nga kaugmaon (I do not own lands or any other treasures that I will bequeath to my children and that is why I will do everything so that I can provide them a good education for their bright future),” shared Anacleto.

Ann testified the sheer hard work of his father as a simple truck driver in a mining company in their hometown.

“Igo ra gyud to ang sweldo sa akong Papa para sa among adlaw adlaw nga panganihanglanon ug usahay magkulang pa gyud mao nga usahay pud dili ko maka-apil sa mga activities sa eskwelahan (My father’s income is just enough for our daily needs, sometimes it would not suffice, hence there were times that I could not join school activities),” recalled Ann.

Becoming 4Ps beneficiaries

In 2010, while the Antoque family continuously strives for their daily necessities, they were identified as one of the poor households to be included in the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

The moment their family became part of the anti-poverty alleviation program of the national government, Ann realized that this could be the start of achieving her dreams in life.

Ann testified that the program, through the cash grants they received, assisted her and her sibling’s education expenses. They could now purchase other school supplies and pay school fees.

From a family that is barely making ends meet to a family that can manage to have their daily needs.

The 4Ps have impacted Ann’s life in numerous ways. It provided not only the financial support her family needed through the cash grants for education, health, and nutrition, but more so, it opened her eyes to see the essence of social work. It widens her perspective that poverty could be alleviated, and most especially, it ignited her desire to pursue the social work profession.

Social Work

“I was in high school back then, when I had the opportunity to observe our 4Ps Municipal Link (ML) while she was conducting the monthly Family Development Sessions (FDS). I was amazed by her passion and dedication to helping poor and disadvantaged families like ours. From there, I told myself, I want to be like her, an instrument in delivering social services and most importantly, one who gives hope to humanity,” explained Ann.

Despite her burning desire to pursue the social work course, she knew she would no longer receive the education grant from the 4Ps when she reached 18 years old. Determined to pursue higher education, she applied for different scholarship grants.

Luckily, she was accepted as a scholar under the Doña Beatriz Jereza Scholarship when she enrolled in the social work course at the University of Southern Philippines Foundation (USPF) in Cebu City.

As a scholar, she tried to balance her time between her studies and as a working student assigned as a student assistant at the Senior High School Department of USPF.

In the succeeding year, she applied for the Carmen Copper Academic Scholarship at the mining company where her father works. She was accepted as a scholar and availed the full tuition on the condition of maintaining good grades at school.

As a family who belongs to identified poor households under the DSWD’s Listahanan database, Ann also received the Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES) of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED). She received an allowance for her school books, school supplies, transportation, and miscellaneous personal expenses, including a reasonable allowance for house rental and other education-related expenses.

Ann recalled that she was immensely grateful for the opportunities she received and amidst self-doubt and challenges, she did not lose hope but continued to set her goals in life.

Her hard work was not put in vain, as she was able to finish her college education and graduated in July 2022 with a degree in Bachelor of Science in Social Work.

Short of a Latin honor, Ann said that making it to the graduation is already a big achievement for herself and for her family.

Right after her graduation, she immediately started reviewing for the social work board examination and took the examination in September 2022.

With laser-like focus and mental fortitude, she emerged triumphant as she became the overall 9th place in the September 2022 Social Work Licensure Examination conducted nationwide.

She deeply felt a sense of accomplishment having to endure hardships and many obstacles along the way.

“Dili sayon, apan tungod sa 4Ps nga maoy nagtukmod kanako, dako ang akong rason nga mopadayon pagkugi kay sa ginaingun pa sa akong mga ginikanan, sa pagpaningkamot ang tanang pangandoy pwedeng makab-ot (It was not an easy journey, but because 4Ps motivated me, and that was the reason I continued to persevere because as my parents said, in giving all your efforts you will achieve your dreams),” underscored Ann.

DSWD worker

After taking up the social work board examination, Ann worked as a social welfare assistant in the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) in her hometown in Toledo.

In 2023, she tried to apply to DSWD Field Office VII, when the agency posted the massive hiring of 4Ps City and Municipal Links (C/MLs).

The C/MLs are DSWD workers assigned to different areas in the region for the program implementation. They provide orientation to the local government unit, 4Ps beneficiaries, and other stakeholders about the program. They also handle and organize the provision of the monthly FDS and monitor and prepare reports on the different compliance of the 4Ps beneficiaries in coordination with partner national government agencies.

“In order to give back the help I once received, there is no better way to show than to be part of the program implementation. To become an angel in a red vest is a fulfillment of my mission to help others who need it the most,” declared Ann.

For Ann, this is another milestone for their family.

Her eldest brother, Anacleto Antoque Jr., is a mass communication graduate and currently works as a call center agent. Her second brother, Arvin Niño Antoque, finished a marine engineering course and is now working as a seafarer, and her youngest brother, Alan Francis Antoque, is presently studying as a second-year college student taking up marine transportation.

“We are proud to be former 4Ps monitored children and we are the products of the human capital investment of the government,” Ann proudly said. ###

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