Graduated from Pasay City Science High School with a prestigious academic award as the class valedictorian, Alyannah P. Terite, 15 years old, shared to the DSWD-NCR family how poverty motivated her to attain such achievement.
“Mahirap lamang ang aming buhay, walang permanenteng trabaho ang aking mga magulang kaya may mga pagkakataong naghihikahos kami… Batid ko ang hirap at sakripisyo ng aking mga magulang kaya pinili kong pagbutihin ang aking pag- aaral,” Alyannah proudly shared.
Both of her parents Erlinda, 44 and Alfonso, 37 are selling grilled street foods at a street along Cavite, and they are going home to Pasay City every day to give Alyannah and her sister Alizzah their daily allowance in going to school.
Erlinda expressed that she is proud of her two (2) lovely girls who are able to take care of themselves with a minimum supervision by their auntie. In addition, she is thankful that both are gaining academic excellence though she is not around to teach them on their assignments or projects.
With their meager income in selling street food, Erlinda admits that the cash grant they are receiving as Pantawid Pamilya beneficiary really helps much in providing the need of their children.
“Hindi po biro ang magpaaral sa Science High School dahil marami pong projects at assignments na talagang kailangan gastusan. Salamat na lang at may nakukuha kami sa Pantawid Pamilya pandagdag sa kanilang panggastos sa pag-aaral,” she enthused.
Meanwhile, Alyannah recently passed the University of the Philippines College Admission Test (UPCAT) where she will enroll in Civil Engineering.
“Ginawa ko ang lahat ng aking makakaya… hindi naging hadlang ang kahirapan upang ako ay makapag-aral… itinuturing ko ang kahirapang ito bilang pagsubok na kinakailangan kong lagpasan at pagtagumpayan,” Alyannah added.
The Government shall continue to assist Alyannah in her college education thru the Expanded Students’ Grant-in-aid Program for Poverty Alleviation (ESGP-PA) implemented by CHED and DSWD.
Further, her sister Alizzah, grade 7 was recently recognized as 5th honors in her class which made Erlinda and her husband doubly proud that their children excel in school amidst the struggles they are encountering everyday.
With determination and full conviction, Alyannah said “Nasisiguro kong matatapos ko ang malubak na daang iyon at makararating ako sa dulo kung saan nag-aabang ang aking inaasam na tagumpay at magandang kinabukasan.”
Alyannah’s family is among the 234,526 Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries in Metro Manila as of March 27, 2015 and she is one of the 93 Pantawid Pamilya High School graduates in 2015 with academic excellence awards from the cities of Muntinlupa, Parañaque, Las Piñas, Taguig, Makati, Pasay and Pateros Municipality.
Pantawid Pamilya program is the core poverty reduction program of DSWD which invests in human capital through its financial assistance based on the compliance to health and education conditionalities of its beneficiaries.###