Angelo Caigas, the conferred Pantawid Pamilya Exemplary Child 2014 of Metro Manila from Navotas City expressed his gratitude to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) for his acquired knowledge from the Family Development Session (FDS).

“Minsan ay isinasama ako ni nanay sa FDS at isang beses nagkataon na tungkol sa karapatan ng bata ang tinalakay kaya mas lumalim ang kaalaman ko tungkol dito bilang benepisyaryo ng Pantawid Pamilya,” said by Angelo, 13 years old.

Angelo who graduated in his primary education as salutatorian, shared to the participants of the recently held CSO-led fora in Navotas City on how the poverty encouraged him to excel in academics and how Pantawid Pamilya program assisted him to graduate with such honor.

“Hirap po talaga akong mag-comply sa projects noon dahil hirap nga din po kame noon na kumain ng tatlong beses sa isang araw… pero ng dumating ang Pantawid Pamilya, talagang malaki ang tulong na idinulot nito sa amin… may panggastos na ako ngayon sa mga projects at nakakakain na ng masustansyang pagkain,” he added.

Angelo is among the 103,955 high school students in Metro Manila who are being monitored for compliance with the education conditionality of the program.

During the activity, the partner civil society organization of DSWD-NCR in the implementation of Pantawid Pamilya program especially in the conduct of FDS, the Pastors and Elders Association for Righteous Leadership (PEARL), led and facilitated the fora which was participated by 750 beneficiaries from Navotas.

In this, the beneficiaries were given with opportunity to mingle with their fellow grantees from other barangays of the said LGU and share their respective “kaya ko ang pagbabago” stories.

Pantawid Pamilya is a rights-based program of the Philippine government being implemented by DSWD in partnership with other agencies which invests in the health and education of children aged 0-18 years old and aiming to break the inter-generational cycle of poverty.###