As Jhon Rhod starts to play the keyboard for the worship song entitled “10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord),” his mother Jonalyn candidly sings the lyrics of the song.

Bless the Lord oh my soul

Oh my soul

Worship His Holy name

Sing like never before

Oh my soul

I’ll worship Your Holy name

“Matag adlaw ginadayeg nako ang ngalan sa Ginoo pinaagi sa talent nga gihatag niya kanako (Every day I praise the name of God through the talent that he gave me),” Jhon Rhod explained as he continued playing the musical notes.

Jhon Rhod (right) bonds with her Mother and younger brother while playing musical instruments.

Who is Jhon Rhod?

Jhon Rhod Amodia, a 12 years old lad who hails from Barangay Gabi, Cordova, Cebu, is the eldest son of Teodulfo and Jonalyn Amodia. His younger and only sibling is Jose Rodulfo, 8 years old.

Teodulfo is a construction worker. He only works when there is a project. When there is no available work, he drives a “trisikad”.

Jonalyn helps her husband put food on the table by managing her own “sari-sari” store. She also occasionally sells food in their neighborhood.

“Nakita namo ang kalisud busa among nadesisyonan nga magplano sa pamilya mao nga duha ra among anak (We saw how hard life is and so we decided to have a family planning and that is why we only have two children),” said Teodulfo.

“Maka-income man sad ko sa pagpaninda diri ug makabantay sad ko sa akong mga anak labi na sa ilang pag eskwela (I can also earn from selling at the same time I can watch over my children especially in their studies),” said Jonalyn.

Jhon Rhod is currently a grade 7 student at Marigondon National High School while his brother Jose Rodulfo is a grade 3 pupil of Subabasbas Elementary School.

Both Jhon Rhod and Jose Rodulfo are monitored children under the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

Jhon Rhod has all praises for his parents whom he described as hardworking despite the hardships they have been through as a family.

“My parents are my role models. They supported me in my studies and taught us the right values like kindness, determination, patience and faith in God,” said Jhon Rhod in dialect.

Jhon Rhod also builds a healthy relationship with his brother. He helps him do his school assignments and projects.

Pantawid Pamilya Partner-Beneficiary

As a compliant Pantawid Pamilya beneficiary, the family regularly received cash grant of Php 3,400.00 every two months for health and education. For the next payout, the cash grant will increase to Php 3,800.00 because Jhon Rhod is already in high school. They also receive a rice subsidy worth Php 600.00 per month and for 2019 they have availed a one-time Php 3,600.00 cash grant under the Unconditional Cash Transfer (UCT).

“Nakatabang ang cash grant nga nadawat namo gikan sa Pantawid kay nakapuno kini sa among budget para sa among pag eskwela ug sa bugas (The Pantawid cash grants augments the budget for our education and in buying the rice),” claimed Jhon Rhod.

“Ma-compare jud nako nga lahi ang among kahimtang sa una ug sa karon nga apil nami sa Pantawid (I can compare the different between our life before and now that we are part of the program),” added Jhon Rhod added.

Jonalyn ensures that the cash grants are used in its intended purpose – for children’s education, health and food.

“Sa una maka-utang pa aron makapalit sa mga school requirements sa mga bata ug mag kalisud jud. Busa nagpasalamat ako sa tabang sa DSWD kay masiguro na namo ang pag eskwela sa mga bata. Apan wala mi nagsalig ani ug naningkamot gihapon kami kay ang Pantawid abag lamang sa gobyerno alang sa mga kabos sama namo (We incurred debts before just to secure the school requirements for the children. Life was really difficult. That is why we are grateful for the help from DSWD because we are now assured of the education of our children. But, we do not just rely on Pantawid. We also work hard considering that this is just an assistance from the government to poor families like us),” explained Jonalyn.

Jonalyn emphasized that even in their poor situation, they continue to seek God.

“Seeing them finish their studies would mean so much to us. Education is the only treasure we can give to them,” added Jonalyn.

Hence, both Teodulfo and Jonalyn strive to find means to support their family.

With all their experiences, they know the importance of saving. Jonalyn opens a savings account for her two children in a local cooperative. She regularly saves some amount from their cash grants and deposit them. Jhon Rhod also saves money from his “baon” and currently has Php 12,000.00 in his savings account.

The Amodia couple are regular attendees of the Family Development Session (FDS), where they learned insights on responsible parenthood, disaster preparedness, values and spiritual formation and other relevant topics.

Jonalyn, as a parent, gives due attention to the roles of parents and the rights of children. She understands the important role of parents in molding a child.

Jhon Rhod helps Jose Rodulfo do his school assignments and projects.

Academic Excellence

Jhon Rhod believes in the value of education. He understands that being diligent in studies is already a preparation for his future job.

“Para sa mga bata nga nawad-an og gana sa pageskwela, gusto nako nga mahuna-huna nila ang sakripisyo sa ilang mga ginikanan. Daghan mga kakulian nga maagian pero kini gamitun nila aron mahimong silang mas maayong tawo (For my fellow children who lose interest in going to school, I want them to realize the sacrifices of their parents. There will be challenges along the way but they can use this as an experience to make them better persons),” Jhon Rhod said with conviction as he wants to advocate education.

Jhon Rhod’s diligence paid off as he received various awards and recognitions in his school. He is a consistent honor student from kindergarten to grade 6.

He said that all these he offers to his parents for their sacrifices. “Gusto nako ma-proud akong pamilya nako ug gusto nako mahimong modelo sa ubang bata nga magkugi sa ilang pagtuon (I want my family to be proud of me and set a good role model to other children to be diligent in their studies),” shared Jhon Rhod.

He added that to excel in class, one has to attend school always. Listening, taking down notes and actively participating in the discussion are few of his ways in having good grades.

Known for his good leadership, he was elected as the President of the Supreme Pupil Government during elementary.

He attended seminars and takes a strong standpoint against drugs, cyber pornography, child abuse and bullying and he shares these learnings to his fellow pupils and friends in their community.

He shared that he wants to be a doctor someday and dreams to open a clinic near their house in order to serve the people especially the poor.

His Musical inclination

Growing up in a Christian home, Jhon Rhod always goes to their church with his parents. At two years old, he was already exposed to the musical instruments in his church. One Sunday, after the worship, the little boy gathered their cookware such as pots and plates and used it as drums.

Their church pastor discovered his potential and bought him toy drum set, which started Jhon Rhod’s passion for music. He has developed a bond with drums and the relationship has grown and evolved over the years. He eventually fell in love with music.

Currently, he plays various musical instruments like piano, guitar, drum and ukulele owned by their church.

He is also a member of his school DLBC (Drum, Lyre and Bugle Corps) where he plays the snare drum.

His Advocacy

“My talent is a gift from God and I must use it to serve him. This talent of mine is to express my love to Jesus not just to impress people,” he said in dialect.

He believes in the power of prayer and said that through God, his father Teodulfo became a Christian.  Upon knowing God, his father stopped his vices and has turned into a responsible provider to his family.

Musically inclined Jhon Rhod plays various instruments like piano, guitar, drum and ukulele.

There are times that Jhon Rhod would share to his classmates what he learned in the church and that earned him the moniker the “Little Pastor”. He also never forgets to pray every morning after waking up and before sleeping at night. He prays when he eats, goes to school and feels uncertain of things around him.

“Ang pag ampo mao ang paagi nga maka communicate ta sa Ginoo para daygon nato siya, mangayo og pasaylo ug magpasalamat sa mga grasya nga nadawat (Prayer is our way to communicate with God to praise Him, ask forgiveness and give thanks for all the graces received),” he added.

Jhon Rhod encourages other children to read the bible because it contains many inspirational stories.

His favorite bible verse is John 13:34 “Higugmaa ang isig katawo sama sa pag higugma sa Ginoo kanimo (Love everyone the way God loves you),” he said. ###

The Department of Social Welfare and Development in Central Visayas warns the public of the alleged ongoing house-to-house listing of applicants for membership of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) in the province of Bohol specifically in the towns of Carmen, Anda and Garcia Hernandez conducted by some individuals who are not connected with the agency.

“Our office has received reports from our field staff about this incident and we encourage the public to be vigilant and to report to the nearest City or Municipal Action Team Office of DSWD-7,” announced Regional Director Rebecca Geamala.

“We also inform the public that DSWD is not also collecting any fee from individuals to become a Pantawid beneficiary,” Geamala added.

The Pantawid beneficiaries are objectively selected through the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction, also known as Listahanan, which is based from an assessment of the physical structure of their houses, the number of rooms and occupants, their access to running water and other factors affecting their living conditions.

“Even if the household was already assessed by the Listahanan enumerator, it does not mean that it will automatically become a beneficiary of Pantawid or any government program,” Director Geamala emphasized.

All collected information from the household will go through a process using a scientific method called Proxy Means Test or PMT. The PMT is a statistical model that estimates the income of household based on the variables included in the family assessment form.

Households with estimated incomes that are equal to and above the latest provincial poverty thresholds will be considered non-poor and those with estimated incomes falling below the poverty thresholds will be considered poor.

“Once the household is identified as poor, they will become potential beneficiaries for various social protection programs of the government like the 4Ps. However, their inclusion in the programs still depends on the programs qualifications or eligibility criteria,” Geamala stressed.

Aside from being identified as poor from Listahanan, a Pantawid partner beneficiary must have children aged 0-18 or have a pregnant member at the time of the assessment and must be willing and able to comply with the conditions of the program as part of their co-responsibilities. ###

In commemoration of this year’s National Indigenous Peoples Month, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office VII once again conducted an Indigenous People (IP) Summit, participated in by the different IP groups in region 7.

Decina Nida Salingay, chieftain of the Eskaya Tribe in Candijay, Bohol provides a brief history about their tribe during the Indigenous Peoples Summit held by the DSWD-7.

The Eskaya Tribe in Candijay, Bohol; Bajau Community in Dauis, Bohol; Magahat Tribe in Basay, Negros Oriental; Tribu Bukidnon in Ayungon, Negros Oriental; and the Sama Bajau in Cebu City, Cebu who participated in the activity are among the IP groups covered under the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program of the DSWD.

The two-day IP summit aims to recognize the Indigenous Cultural Communities/Indigenous People who preserve Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Practices, demonstrate positive traditional tribal Filipino culture and build affirmative influence in the cultural community where they are inherent in.

On the first day of the IP summit, the participating IP groups performed their respective tribal dances during the Monday convocation held at the field office.

During the activity, participants were discussed with the basic concept of gender sensitivity and the means of addressing possible gender-based violence and other gender related issues that may be faced by both men and women of the different tribal groups that might lead to non-compliance to the Pantawid Program conditions.

Preparing a catch up plan to address program issues and concern and developing response/commitment from the partners in the next year’s program implementation were also part of the workshop in the activity.

Also present during the summit were representatives from the different partner stakeholders of the department such as the Department of Health (DOH), Department of Agriculture (DA), PhilHealth, National Commission on Indigenous People (NCIP) Cebu Provincial Office, and the Badjao Integrated Development Program of the Presentation Sisters of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

On the second day of the summit, two IP groups were declared as model IP Community for their responsible adherence to the Pantawid program conditions and their excellent performance in developing their communities through and in partnership with the different stakeholders of the program.

The two Model IP Community are the Eskaya Tribe of Candijay, Bohol and the Sama Bajau of Cebu City, Cebu. ###

Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) model families from all over the country including the Garay Family of Jagna, Bohol and Elardo Family of Badian, Cebu were recognized during the Pantawid Pamilya National Family Day celebration held at SM North EDSA Sky Dome in Quezon City on September 29, 2019.

The event is also a homecoming of the six national winners of the Search of Huwarang Pantawid Pamilya from 2012 to 2018.

Vicente and Marissa Garay together with their children receive the plaque of recognition from DSWD Secretary Rolando Joselito Bautista and representatives from various national government agencies who are part of the Pantawid Pamilya National Advisory Council (NAC).

The family of Vicente and Marissa Garay was the national winner in 2016. The Garay couple is pleased that they have two college degree holders who are now gainfully employed.

“Nalipay ko nga na-invite mi balik ug naka-apil ani nga event kay dili tanang 4Ps beneficiaries mahatagan higayon maka-ari sa Metro Manila (I am happy that we were invited again to join the event because not all 4Ps beneficiaries were given the chance to come to Metro Manila),” said Marissa.

“Pagkadaog sa among pamilya niadtong 2016, daghang oportunidad ang niabot sa among pamilya ug usa na niana ang mahatagan og higayon nga mamahimong Barangay Kagawad. Ang pagsalig sa akong mga kabarangay naghatag nako og kusog nga padayon nga motabang sa uban (When our family won in 2016, we received a lot of opportunities and one of those is to be given the chance to become a Barangay Councilor. The vote of confidence from the people in the community has given me strength to continue to serve others),” added Marissa.

Aside from the past national winners, the 2019 Regional Huwarang Pantawid Pamilya winners from 14 regions were also recognized.

The family of Francisco and Marilou Elardo is the Central Visayas region representative.

“Nindot kini nga aktibidad nga gipahigayon sa DSWD kay napa-ambit nato sa uban ang mga nagkalain-laing estorya sa mga Pantawid beneficiaries. Estorya sa pagkugi ug paglambo nga pwede sundon sa uban mga pamilya nga naapil sa Pantawid (This is a nice activity of DSWD because it enables us to share to others the different stories of Pantawid beneficiaries. Stories of determination and success that could inspire other families who are part of Pantawid),” said Francisco.

The National Family Day carried the theme, “Pamilyang Pilipino: Taas-noo sa buong mundo,” which recognizes the dignity and significance of the daily strive of family-beneficiaries against poverty. The theme, likewise, reflects the family-beneficiaries’ willingness to end poverty within their households and achieve the kind of development they collectively want according to their principles.

The Elardo family proudly shows their plaque of recognition during the 2019 Pantawid Pamilya National Family Day. From left to right: Reese, Marilou, Francisco and Christian.

Since 2012, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), through the event, has been recognizing family-beneficiaries of 4Ps who are able to comply with program conditionalities, sustain family togetherness and become active citizens of their communities despite the challenges brought about by poverty.

These households have actively contributed to the development of their fellow beneficiaries and to their communities. Some of them have served as resource persons during conferences where they shared their experiences as program beneficiaries, while others have led successful community projects. ###

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) field office-7 through its Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) Regional Program Management Office and Convergence Office recently conducted an orientation to the enumerators in Bohol on the region-wide Social Welfare and Development Indicator (SWDI) Assessment for the 4Ps partner-beneficiaries. The orientation for Cebu, Negros Oriental, and Siquijor enumerators will follow on the fourth week of September this year.

Mr. Dexter Gimena, regional convergence coordinator, provides an overview of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) during the recent orientation on Social Welfare and Development Indicators (SWDI) Assessment conducted for the enumerators in Bohol. Included in his discussion is also the History and Contextualization of Enhanced SWDI.

The SWDI is a tool used to assess the level of well-being of the DSWD’s 4Ps partner-beneficiaries and to monitor their improvement from Survival to Subsistence to Self-sufficiency.

A total of 157 enumerators were hired for region 7 to conduct the house-to-house survey of the Pantawid Pamilya households using the Social Welfare and Development Indicators. DSWD 7 will deploy 62 enumerators in Bohol; 56 in Cebu; 32 in Negros Oriental; and 7 in Siquijor.

During the orientation, the enumerators were taught on the appropriate filling-out of the SWDI General Intake Sheet through a simulation. They were also discussed with the SWDI Toolkit’s major component, enhanced scoring guide and the General Intake Sheet.

For region 7, a total of 270,912 active Pantawid partner-beneficiaries will undergo the SWDI assessment, which already started in August this year by the City/Municipal Action Team.

The target date of completing the SWDI assessment for the entire region-7 is on the second week of December 2019.

The SWDI uses the qualitative and quantitative approaches and the advanced data capture technology (i.e. tablet devices) to reduce the time lag between the data collection and analysis and to reduce the number of coding errors.

The generated result of the assessment will serve as reference for the planning of possible interventions by the DSWD or other concerned government units to the partner-beneficiaries to further help them improve their level of well-being. ###

A seventh-grade boy from Cordova, Cebu was declared this year’s regional winner for the Search for Exemplary Pantawid Pamilya Children.

Jhon Rhod C. Amodia, 12 years old from Barangay Gabi, Cordova bested other three provincial winners, Cleia Tadena of Duero, Bohol in second place; Shame Lagos of Zamboanguita, Negros Oriental in third place and Kathleen Chen Pastrana of Maria, Siquijor in fourth place. They will be recognized during the 5th Panaghiusa Festival in October and will attend the National Children’s Congress (NCC) in November in Metro Manila.

Jhon Rhod Amodia showcases his talent during the Provincial Search for Exemplary Pantawid Pamilya Children awarding ceremony held in Cebu City last August.

The judging process was based on the following criteria: Behavior and Practice (20%), Awareness, Advocacy and Talent (25%), Intelligence and Wit (25%), Community and School Participation (20%) and Aptitude and Appearance (10%).

Jhon Rhod’s father, Teodulfo, is a construction worker while his mother, Jonalyn, is a housewife and manages her own sari-sari store and sells food in the neighborhood to augment the family’s income.

Growing up in a Christian home, Jhon Rhod always goes to their church with his parents. At two years old, he was already exposed to the musical instruments in his church. One Sunday, after the worship, the little boy gathered their cookware such as pots and plates and used it as drums.

Their church pastor discovered his potential and bought him toy drum set, which started Jhon Rhod’s passion for music. He has developed a bond with drums and the relationship has grown and evolved over the years. He eventually fell in love with music.

Currently, he plays various musical instruments like piano, guitar, drum and ukulele owned by their church.

“My talent is a gift from God and I must use it to serve him. This talent of mine is to express my love to Jesus not just to impress people,” he said in dialect.

His favorite worship song is 10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord) “Sing like never before, Oh my soul, I’ll worship Your Holy name.”

He believes in the power of prayer and said that through God, his father Teodulfo became a Christian.  Upon knowing God, his father stopped his vices and has turned into a responsible provider to his family.

There are times that Jhon Rhod would share to his classmates what he learned in the church and that earned him the moniker the “Little Pastor”. Jhon Rhod also never forgets to pray every morning after waking up and before sleeping at night. He prays when he eats, goes to school and feels uncertain of things around him.

Known for his good leadership, he was elected as the President of the Supreme Pupil Government in his school. He attended seminars and takes a strong standpoint against drugs, cyber pornography, child abuse and bullying and he shares these learnings to his fellow pupils and friends in their community.

With the government’s assistance through the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, Jhon Rhod hopes to finish his studies and get a college degree.

“Ang pageskwela importante para makab-ot ang mga pangandoy sa kinabuhi (Education is important for us to achieve our goals in life),” said Jhon Rhod, who dreams of becoming a doctor someday. ###

As early as 5 o’clock in the morning, Francisco Elardo, is already tending his plants in his backyard garden.

He would see to it that he greets his plants a good morning because he treats them as friends.

“Para nako makatabang ang pagestorya sa mga tanom, dili man sila makatubag apan makatabang kini sa ilang pagtubo (I believe talking to plants can help, even if they could not respond to you but this would help the plants grow healthy),” shares Francisco.

The Elardo family utilizes recycled materials in their organic demo farm in Barangay Taytay, Badian.

In a 1,000 square meter backyard garden that Francisco and his family own in their home in Barangay Taytay, Badian, Cebu, one can see a variety of vegetables like alugbati, eggplant, sweet potato, string beans, pechay, patola and malunggay. The family also have fruit bearing trees like guyabano, papaya, tambis, guava, coconut and avocado.

The Elardo’s love for farming started with their father Francisco Elardo, 46 years old, who once thought of finding his fate beneath the skyscrapers of the city. But later on decided to return to the countryside to till the soil.

Padre de Familia

A college dropout, Francisco worked in a paint factory to feed his family. However, he got sick and he left his work. He returned to his hometown and started farming.

“Nipauli ko sa amoa kuyog akong asawa aron magpaayo sa akong sakit ug didto nako nadesisyonan nga mag farming ko (I came back to my hometown with my wife to recuperate from my illness and there I decided to do farming),” he adds.

And that was when Francisco saw his purpose.

Organic farming advocate

Francisco’s inclination to organic farming started when he attended a seminar on organic farming.

“Nakat-unan nako sa seminar nga dili kinahanglan mogamit og spray nga adunay mga kemikals (I learned from the seminar that there is no need to use chemical spray to plants),” Francisco says matter-of-factly.

Marilou, 42 years old, Francisco’s wife and partner in tending all their farm crops says that as a couple, they help each other in various household chores. Francisco he is more focused on farming while Marilou takes care of the children. Marilou also helps her husband in nurturing the plants.

The couple is blessed with two (2) children, namely: Reese and Christian who also have their own tasks in tending their farm.

Reese, 19 years old, is currently a second year college taking up Bachelor of Education Major in Pre-Elementary and Technical Livelihood Education at the Cebu Technological University (CTU) Moalboal campus and Christian, 14 years old, a grade 9 student of Badian National High School and a monitored child under the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).

Reese uses her creativity in making artistic and colorful design for their plant pots while Christian is a reliable partner to his father in ensuring that the plants are healthy.

Despite the meager income that the family would earn from farming, Francisco believes that it was in farming where he found himself to be of help not only in providing healthy meals for his family but also for other members of their community.

Each member of the family has its own task in tending the demo farm.

“Akong pangandoy gyud nga ma-echo ang organic farming sa akong mga isig-katawo kay mas luwas ni kaysa sa kanang gamitan og synthetic fertilizer. Importante kaayo ni labi na nga ang mga bata dali magkasakit (It has always been my dream to impart my knowledge on organic farming to others because this is safer compared to vegetables sprayed with synthetic fertilizer. This is very important, especially that children are prone to sickness),” Francisco underscores.

In 2013, the family decided to make the backyard garden as a demonstration farm. Since then, many people coming from various institutions like students, government workers and fellow farmers visited it to learn more and see an actual organic farm.

“Miski kapoy, malipay gihapon ko mag-demo sa mga estudyante kay ganahan man sad ko nga mapa-ambit sa lain akong nahibaw-an kabahin sa organic farming (Even if I am tired, I am happy to demonstrate to the students because I love to share what I have learned about organic farming),” explains Francisco.

He added that he will never refuse anyone who would approach him and visit their demo farm to gain knowledge on organic farming.

If there are visitors, Francisco would show to them his plants and then discuss about natural farming system like indigenous microorganism, fermented plant juice and fermented fruit juice inside a make shift classroom made of indigenous materials like bamboo and nipa.

The Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) of the Department of Agriculture (DA) tapped Francisco as one of the resource speakers for organic vegetables farming seminar. In fact, ATI has chosen the Elardo demo farm as one of the learning sites on backyard gardening.

Francisco is also a barangay coordinator of the Farmer Scientist Training Program (FSTP) and at the same time a farmer’s trainer under the Office of Provincial Agriculturist of Cebu province.

The family also raises animals like cow, goats, chicken and maintains a small pond in their organic farm.

“Sa panahon nga wala pay ani, kining mga tilapia maoy among sud-anon (During lean season, these tilapias are our viand),” he says.

“Farming is the backbone of the nation. Sa nagkataas nga populasyon, nagsaka pud ang demand sa pagkaon. Kung kalimtan nato ang farming, unsaon man nato pagpakaon sa mga tawo nga sa pagkaon raba na maggikan ang kusog? (Farming is the backbone of the nation. As the population continues to grow, the demand also increases. If we disregard farming, how would we feed the people? Human strength comes from eating healthy food),” Francisco emphasizes.

“Kung kita tanan mahimong engineer o mosakay og barko, kinsa may mananom sa pagkaon nga atong andamon para sa atong pamilya? Di ra ba na mahilis ang puthaw (If we all become engineers or become seafarers, who will be left to grow the food that we will serve to our families? Steels are inedible),” jokingly says Francisco.

As an advocate of organic farming, he also encourages other Pantawid Pamilya partner-beneficiaries to follow the natural farming system.

The family is also a member of the Taytay Hillyland Farmers Association.

“Kung adunay murequest nga magpatudlo sa pagpananom, andam ug tagana kami nga mupa-ambit sa among kaalam kabahin sa organic farming (If there will be request for lectures or trainings, we are more than willing to share our knowledge about organic farming),” says Francisco.

To the Elardo family, what they have gained is a blessing and is something to be shared to others. It is the family’s advocacy to share it with others to replicate their efforts on organic farming. The family has encouraged their neighbors and other people to produce organic vegetables and fruits which are safe to eat and are not harmful to the environment.

Pantawid Partner-Beneficiary

Before the Elardo family became a Pantawid partner-beneficiary, they already showed determination and hardwork.

According to Francisco, he is grateful when his family became a partner-beneficiary of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program in 2011 because it aided them in providing their children’s education, a basic right of every child.

“Dili ingun nga dili nata magkugi kay naa tay tabang gikan sa gobyerno, so akong gibuhat gidoble pa namo among kakugi. Naa naman pamugas nga gihatag ang Pantawid, ang akong gibuhat ang pagpangita sa sud-an (It does not mean that we stop working hard because there is already an assistance from the government, so what we did is we double our efforts. There is already a rice subsidy of Pantawid, what I do is to provide for our viand),” expresses Francisco.

Marilou agreed on Francisco’s statement, “Miskin wala ang Pantawid maninguha gihapon mapaeskwela ang mga bata kay responsibilidad man kana sa mga ginikanan (Even if there is no Pantawid, we should continue sending our children to school because it is the responsibility of the parents to send their children to school)” enthuses Marilou.

On Parenting

For Francisco and Marilou, parenting is also like taking care of the plants.

Just like plants that need a foundation of good soil to support and nourish their roots, sunlight to produce food via photosynthesis and a sufficient supply of water, children also need to have a good family foundation.

Marilou share that in order to strengthen their family, they never forget to have time for each other. Great meal conversations serve as a good venue for the four of them to discuss what transpired during the day in the school, in the farm, in the home and in the community.

Francisco and Marilou Elardo happily pose together with their two children Reese and Christian in their home in Badian, Cebu.

“Upat raman mi kabuok mao nga open ang among communication ug adunay problema dali namo masolusyonan kay magtinabangay man kami isip usa ka pamilya (We are only four in the family, so we have open communication at home. And if there is a problem we can resolve it immediately because we help each other as one family),” says Francisco.

Francisco understand that Reese and Christian have their own distinct personality and they have their own life to decide.

“Isip ginikanan, ang ato ra man gusto nga maayo ang kaugmaon sa atong mga anak ug kung unsa ilang ambisyon suportaan nato (As parents, we only want what is good for our children’s future and we will support whatever their ambitions are),” adds Francisco.

But Francisco never fails to instill to his children the value of education.

“Dili nako gusto nga maparehas sila nako nga wala makahuman og eskwela. Walay rason nga dili sila makahuman og eskwela labi na nga adunay tabang gikan sa gobyerno (I do not want them to be like me. There is no reason for them not to finish their studies, especially now that there is aid from the government),” ends Francisco. ###

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office VII distributed the school supplies to selected Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) children-beneficiaries for the Bata Balik Eskwela (BBE) advocacy campaign.

Distribution of school supplies to Pantawid Pamilya children-beneficiaries in El Pardo Elementary School, Boljoon, Cebu.

These selected 4Ps children-beneficiaries are those who stopped in the previous school year but enrolled this school year 2019-2020.

A total of 758 4Ps children from different elementary and secondary schools in the cities of Mandaue and Danao and municipalities of Dumanjug, Ronda, Alcantara, Moalboal, Boljoon, Samboan, Alegria, Liloan, Compostela and Daanbantayan.

Selected schools in the provinces of Siquijor and Negros Oriental also received school supplies.

The school supplies were donated by various Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) who are partners in the implementation of 4Ps. These partners are Cebu People’s Multipurpose Cooperative, Personal Collection, Inc., Dumaguete Cathedral Credit Cooperative Multipurpose Cooperative, Cebuana Lhuillier Foundation, Inc. and the Dolores Aboitiz Children’s Fund of the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc.

The DSWD Field Office VII’s Social Welfare Employees Credit Cooperative (SWECC) and DSWD Field Office VII employees also donated various school supplies like notebooks and ball pens.

A total of 486 4Ps children-beneficiaries in three barangays in Cebu City namely; Mambaling, Tejero and Lahug received biscuits donated by the ABS-CBN Bantay Bata Foundation.

The Pantawid Pamilya’s Bata Balik Eskwela campaign aims to remind the children beneficiaries to enroll back to school so that they will fully utilize the program benefits. This campaign also seeks to inculcate in the minds of the children the importance and value of education in their lives and future.

The Pantawid Pamilya children are one of the stakeholders of the program and are responsible in complying with one of the main conditions of 4Ps, which is to attend school every school year. ###