While interviewing the Dades family from Barangay 178, Pasay City, the words “thank you” was incessantly uttered by Maria Cristina, 41 years old and the mother of the family. With teary eyes, she narrated how the PantawidPamilya continuously helps them until they availed the Self Employment Assistance – Kaunlaran (SEA-K) program in October 2011.
Dades family has been a beneficiary of PantawidPamilya since 2008. Meaning, they belong to those who will graduate from the 5-year implementation of the program for Set 1 beneficiaries on December 2013.
Maria Cristina said that before, it is hard for them to ensure that they still have something to eat for tomorrow. Unlike today, she guaranteed that they will have food to eat every day.
With her husband Jose, 50 years old, and with their four (4) children aged 24, 21, 15 and 9, Maria Cristina is now managing her sari-sari store business and a small coffee stand brought by the capital seed lent to them through the DSWD Self-Employment Assistance-Kaunlaran (SEA-K) program. The proceeds from these are the money they spent for their daily necessities that sometimes are more than enough for their actual needs.
As PantawidPamilya beneficiary, Maria Cristina said that the changes in their family are really unexpected. Due to the meager income of her husband as a jeepney driver, before, she said that they always having an argument on where to pull money for their needs. But now, because of the lessons she learned from the FDS she attended, and with the condition of their life now, they do not wrangle anymore.
Also, Maria Cristina added that due to the conditionalities they have to comply in order to properly receive their cash grants, the education of her children and their health is now in the right track… that for her, “disente na kami ngayon” (we are decent now).
On the question if they are now ready for their forthcoming graduation in the program, Maria Cristina proudly said that, “handa na kami ngayon… sobrang malaki ang pasasalamat naming sa DSWD at mula sa Pantawid ay nagawan ng paraan upang makayanan naming ang magsarili… habang buhay kaming magpapasalamat sa DSWD” (we are ready now… we are very thankful with the DSWD that from Pantawid, we are given a chance to stand on our own… we will be forever grateful to DSWD).
Happily, the Dades family helping each other to make their business grows more. For them, PantawidPamilya bonds their family closer and they will never let it lost no matter what happen.