The Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program has brought changes to a lot of Filipino families with not just financial but also substantial support which sparks hope and determination to families to see circumstances with a silver-lining and alleviate their lives out of poverty.

Dimna Terol and her family is one of the family beneficiaries of 4Ps in San Remigio, Cebu aspired to use the cash grant they received monthly to support their family’s needs.

When Dimna and her husband Melvin started their family in the early 2000s, they got hired in a basket weaving industry crafting different designs, forms and shapes of basket products from the indigenous materials found locally.

It is one of the common community livelihoods in their area where these local products were exported and sold in the international market.

Dimna said that while working as basket makers, she and her husband earn one thousand a week, that is equivalent to four thousand a month which is not enough because they have children to feed and send to school.

The Terol couple has three children namely: Charity Mae, the only daughter and eldest child; Jemson, the middle child; and, Melvin Jr., the youngest in the family.

“Sauna lisod gyud kaayo mi, maglibog mi unsaon paggamit ug pag-budget sa amoang kwarta aron dili makulang,” exclaimed Dimna.

“Mao nagpasalamat gyud ko nga naapil ko aning 4Ps kay dako kaayo siya og natabang sa among pamilya, nakatabang gyud siya sa among kalisod,” added Dimna.

Dimna said that they are grateful that they qualified to become a beneficiary of the program after they were identified by the DSWD staff in the survey conducted approximately ten years ago.

“Tungod sa 4Ps, nakapaeskwela gyud mi sa among mga anak gani naa nami anak nga ni graduate pag 2017 og pagkamaestra,” Dimna said that her eldest got a scholarship in college from Expanded Students Grants in Aid Program for Poverty Alleviation (ESGP-PA) while her other children is second year college taking up Graphics and Design and the other is an incoming grade 10.

Because of 4Ps, Dimna said that she was able to save money to start a new livelihood which is to sell pork products until they were able to accumulate their savings and expand their business.

“Ang pagka-4Ps namo nakatabang-tabang gyud aron kami makatigum og makasugod ug laing panginabuhian,” she said.

It was also then the family decided to shift their livelihood and focus on hog raising because it provides them better income.

Currently, Dimna and her family depend on their two female swine and native chickens while his husband works now as a construction worker.

Dimna said that she made sure that the cash grant they received from the government will be spent well in things that they are purposely given to.

“Dapat tarungon gyud nato og gasto ang kwarta og gasa gikan sa gobyerno sa maayo na butang,” Dimna said while pointing out the hogs they have because of her savings and spending their money wisely. ###

(26) Views