Poverty and 4Ps

Friday, July 8, 2011

KOLAMBUGAN, Lanao del Norte -- "Thank you for your very helpful project."
This was the message 10-year-old Julie C. Navarette wrote down to tell President Benigno Aquino III.

Now in grade 5 at the Riverside Elementary School here, Julie wants to become a role model to her siblings by helping their mother in the household chores and doing her best in school.

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The eldest of three siblings with her parents, Nilo and Glorife, a welder and a housekeeper, Julie is very much aware that the meager income of his father is just enough for their daily basic consumption.

Having topped her classes with flying colors; however, she is thankful to them that despite their poor condition, they still supported her in her studies and provided her needs for school.

"Gusto nako nga tabangan si Mama ug si Papa kay aron dili nami maglisod pa (I want to help my mother and father so we will not suffer anymore from poverty)," she says.

Julie's desire is not different from other children who are raised well with good values by their parents.

She says being kind, thoughtful, helpful and God fearing are the qualities needed to be successful in the future.

She believes that these qualities are very important to realize her aspirations in life.

The desire to bring her family to a better future encourages her to study more because she knows well the sacrifices of her parents.

She wants to follow the footsteps of her Aunt, who is a teacher. Julie loves and is fond of teaching her siblings and wants to become a teacher someday.

But the thought of where to get financial support sometimes worries her, as she does not want to hassle her parents on these matters.

With the implementation of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) of President Aquino that provides them conditional cash transfer for nutrition, health and education in the family, her parents' worries were lessened.

For Julie, it was a prayer answered that they were included among the beneficiaries of Pantawid Pamilya Program.

From the time they were validated and have received their grants, the happiness they felt was immeasurable.

As beneficiaries, they directly get their grants based on their compliance to the set conditions on health and education from the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) using their cash or Automated Teller Machine (ATM) cards.

Supportive of their longing for their daughter to get a college degree, her parents are starting to save money for her education in college since high school education is free.

"Nagpasalamat mi ug dako sa Pantawid Pamilya kay nakatabang gyud sa among pamilya (We are very thankful to Pantawid Pamilya because it did help us in many ways)," Julie's mother Glorife shares.

All parents are seeking to provide their children a comfortable life apart from their present poverty situation. Nilo and Glorife wanted their children to break the cycle of poverty in the family and cross to a better life in the future, which is the same with the aim of Pamilyang Pantawid.