“Noong una, hindi ako naniniwala sa Diyos at hindi ko hinihikayat ang aking pamilya na magsimba tuwing Linggo kasi kung talagang may Diyos, ‘di dapat kami mahirap… pero ngayon, nararanasan kong ‘di lang pala ako oridnaryong tao, kundi importanteng tao ako”(At first, I don’t believe in God and I am not encouraging my family to attend Sunday mass at church because if that so called ‘God’ really exists, then we should not be poor… but now, I feel that I’m not only an ordinary person but I’m an important person a s well) ” Jovy Dulang said while delivering her testimony in the recent Inter-City Learning Visits of Beneficiaries in Marikina City.

On February 18, 2015, a total of 100 Parent Leaders of the Pantawid Pamilya program from the cities of Marikina and Manila actively participated in the said activity where they were given an opportunity to meet and interact with other program beneficiaries from other LGU and learn from their success stories.

In the activity, Marikina group proudly showcased their urban gardening project which benefited 1,000 Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries while the Manila group boldly presented the Patrol Solid Waste Management Project in Parola, Tondo where the Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries actively participate as “ecopatrollers” which has been a source of income for their families.

These inspired the partner-beneficiaries to replicate their good practices in their respective areas which is among the objectives of this learning visit.

As mechanics for the workshop, the beneficiaries were divided into five (5) groups where they freely shared to their small groups their stories of change as beneficiaries of the program. After this, a gallery viewing was done followed by the gathering of all the participants to hear their testimonials where Jovy was one of those who shared their stories.

According to Jovy, the acquired knowledge from the Family Development Sessions (FDS) has capacitated them as a family, and more importantly has enriched them spiritually. Her family’s faith in God has deepen.

“Since most of our FDS is being facilitated by a Pastor (from I-Help), I can now feel that we are spiritually guided; that it is not the money that really matters in order to build and maintain harmonious relationship in a family… it is actually the faith in God,” she affirmed.

Jovy also shared that as beneficiary of the program and as a Parent Leader, she now appreciates their worth as “poor” as she is now involved in various community activities with her fellow beneficiaries. Among her most memorable experiences is when she witnessed the approval of the 2013 national budget in Malacañang by President Benigno S. Aquino III .

Jovy also proudly disclosed that her eldest child, Angel Dulang, 21 years old, recently graduated with a degree in BS Education major in Math at the Eulogio “Amang” Rodriguez Institute of Science and Technology.

Due to the priceless changes brought by the Pantawid Pamilya program to Jovy’s family and to her fellow partner-beneficiaries, all participants of the activity confidently yelled the lines of “Kaya ko ang Pagbabago!.”

From the activities of gallery viewing where each one was able to see the output of other groups and with the testimonial of their fellow

beneficiaries, the participants of the activity went home with new learnings on the good practices and inspirational success stories of their co-participants which they will also share to other Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries in their community.

Meanwhile, another Inter-city Learning Visit was held on February 20, 2015 in Valenzuela City where 100 Parent Leaders from the said LGU and Muntinlupa City also did the same activity.###