DESPITE the availability of public schools, some families in the provinces in the Visayas were forced to forgo their children’s education due to financial strain.
Mark Tojong, from Ginatilan, Cebu Province, shared how he struggled to support the education of all his seven school-aged children.
He said two of his children, who would have been in grades four and five, have not been enrolled this school year, saying they currently could not afford the cost it would entail.
Two of the other five children are in Grade Two, one in nursery, one in Grade One, and the eldest already has a family of her own.
Tojong said he was forced to keep the older children at home to care for their five-year-old youngest sibling.
“Dili kaayo mi maka bantay sa among mga anak kay puros mi sa ako asawa naay trabaho, saon taman pobre man need mangita kwarta (My wife and I cannot really look after our children because we have jobs, but what can we do? We are poor and we need to earn money),” said Mark.
He said his family spends over P500 daily on their allowances, transportation, food, and other essentials.
While the amount may appear reasonable to some, it’s quite substantial for the Tojong family, considering that Mark works as a fisherman and his wife as a market stall attendant, earning minimum wage.
The Tojong family is among the recipients of the national government’s Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), which receives several cash grants, including health (P750 per month for each household), education (P350 per child in elementary), and rice subsidy of P600 per month.
He said the 4Ps cash assistance is substantial; however, it is not released monthly. He said sometimes, it often just covers their water and electric bills and food expenses.
“Akong pangandoy sa akong anak kay makahuman og skwela sa ilang mga gipangandoy nga kurso. Ang grade four ganahan mahimong pulis, unya ang usa ganahan mahimong seaman,” he added.
(My hope for my children is that they finish their studies and achieve their dream careers. My child who would have been in fourth grade right now dreams of becoming a police officer, while the other, who would have been in grade five wants to become a seaman someday.)
Meanwhile, Emily Itao, a mother of three, from a mountainous area in Negros Oriental, expressed concern over the fact that her two children have to walk for at least an hour daily to reach the elementary school located far downhill.
“I have no problem sending them to school. What I am worried about is the distance of the school from our house. I am worried for my children,” she told SunStar Cebu in Bisaya.
Excluding transportation costs, she said the family spends P50 per child for the students’ daily allowances.
In addition, Emily is caring for a one-year-old child, while her husband, who works in town, can only return home on weekends.
She admitted that she is still undecided whether to enroll her middle child this year or just wait for the next school year.
Shortfall of enrollees
In an Aug. 14, 2024 report of SunStar Cebu, the Department of Education in Central Visayas (DepEd 7) reported a shortfall of 100,000 students from their enrollment target for the school year, which began on July 29.
Despite the official enrollment period ending on July 26, DepEd 7 continues to accept late enrollees until Sept. 7.
According to DepEd 7 Director Salustiano Jimenez, the target enrollment for the region is 2.1 million students. However, as of Aug. 14, the Learner Information System only logged 1,939,444 enrolled students or 92 percent of the target. / CAV