Rita Roxas, 33 years old, a Pantawid Pamilya beneficiary from brgy. Guadalupe Viejo, Makati City, finally learned how to help others not once, twice or thrice, but incessantly, with all her heart as a parent leader to her fellow beneficiaries in their area.

As she said in her testimony in front of DSWD-NCR’s staff and officials during the Monday flag raising ceremony, “Noon, sapat na sa akin ang tumulong ng isa o dalawang beses, ngunit nang mapili akong Parent Leader, natutunan kong tumulong ng kahit ilang ulit ng walang hinihintay na kapalit, at tunay na napakasarap marinig ang salitang “salamat” mula sa mga kapwa ko benepisyaryo.”

With her own hand-written script, Rita shared that her children are currently enjoying the benefits of being healthy and active in school as they can now afford to buy the needs of the children for their health and education.

Living with her two (2) children aged 11 and 13, and her husband David Joseph, 35, Rita acknowledges that the program is significantly helping her family to obtain an improved quality of life.

Rita also shared that David’s salary as housekeeper in NAIA terminal 2 is now being spent for their other needs aside from the education and health of their children, since they are receiving assistance from the government by religiously complying with the conditionalities of the Pantawid Pamilya program.

By attending Family Development Sessions (FDS), Rita emphasized that she is now knowledgeable on things which are applicable to their daily life as a family.

At the end of her testimony, Rita proudly stated to the crowd the powerful words: “Ako si Rita Roxas mula sa Makati, Kaya ko ang Pagbabago!” which was received by a warm applause from the DSWD-NCR family.

Roxas family is among the 226, 263 Pantawid Pamilya household-beneficiaries in Metro Manila as of November 5, 2014, who are receiving cash grants based on their compliance to health, education and attendance to FDS conditionalities of the program.  ###