A total of 38 college students who belong to Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries were prioritized by the Department of Social Welfare and Development – National Capital Region (DSWD-NCR) in the Government Internship Program (GIP) for 2015.
Overall, DSWD-NCR has 50 interns who were included under the GIP wherein 10 of them are walk-in applicants while two (2) were former residents at the Department’s residential care facilities specifically from Marillac Hills and Jose Fabella Center.
GIP is among the eight (8) components of the President’s Youth Work Program (PWYP) under the Kabataan : 2000 which aims to provide opportunities to in-school and out-of-school youth in productively spending their summer vacation through their involvement in public service.
Aside from the learnings that they shall acquire from such exposure to different government offices, they will also earn P300 per day for 22 working days.
DSWD-NCR Regional Director Ma. Alicia S. Bonoan emphasized that the Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries were prioritized to be included in the GIP of the Department in order to help them save for their tertiary education for academic year 2015-2016. Thus, this will enable them to move one step towards finishing their college studies.
Among the included students in GIP is Rima Jane P. Cajontoy, 18 years old and incoming 4th year student in Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education at the City University of Pasay (CUP) whose family belongs to the Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries in the said LGU.
“Malaki ang pasasalamat ko sa Panginoon at nataon na nakasali ako sa GIP dahil talagang kailangan ko ito… noong nakaraang buwan lang kasi (April 2015) ay natuklasang may komplikasyon sa puso at baga ang tatay ko kaya kuya ko na lang na security guard and nagtatrabaho sa amin ngayon,” Rima narrated.
Rima’s father, Rodrigo, 41 years old is a former taho and soya vendor in the morning, traffic enforcer after vending and a sidecar driver at night in order to provide the needs of his family.
Rima explained that since she just availed the 50% discount in her tuition fee at CUP, her salary will be used for its payment and other fees and school expenses.
Since Rima is currently an intern in the Pantawid Pamilya Regional Program Management Office (RPMO), she now started to appreciate how the DSWD management and staff are working together in order to continuously implement the program for the beneficiaries.
“Mababait yung mga tao sa DSWD at kahit minsan ay ginagabi sila, talagang tinatapos nila ang kanilang ginagawa… humahanga po ako na ganito pala ang mga tao sa likod ng Pantawid Pamilya,” Rima said.
Rima’s family was registered in the program in 2013 wherein her youngest sister, Rinalyn, 16 years old and a fresh high school graduate of 2015, is the only child being monitored under the education conditionality of the program.
“Kahit si Rinalyn lang yung minomonitor sa amin sa Pantawid Pamilya ay malaking tulong pa rin na may nai-pang gastos siya sa pag-aaral at kalusugan niya… hindi rin kasi biro ang projects at iba pang school requirements na kailangan niyang gawin para makatapos ng high school,” Rima added.
Pantawid Pamilya is a human development program of the Philippine government being implemented by DSWD which invests in health and education of children aged 0-18 through the provision of cash grants based on the compliance of partner-beneficiaries to its conditionalities.###