PASIG CITY – Pantawid Pamilya is an investment in human capital which seeks to break the intergenerational cycle of poverty by focusing on education and health of the beneficiaries. Through DSWD, itprovides conditional cash transfer to poor households around the country.
A family always consider having a mother, father and children; raising a family is not as easy as an alphabet song, not as easy as solving a mathematical equation in school, but a situation like trailing on a steep and mountain. And for a reason, even a strong family could easily break.
Margie V. Maata, 49 years old, one of the active members of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program was raised in a small town in Oroquieta City, Misamis Occidental.She was loved and supported by her family, especially her siblings. After graduating from Vocational Course in the province, Margie moved to Manila to continue her studies in College and stayed with her siblings in Pasig. She enrolled Education at Arellano University for a degree in Bachelor of Elemetary. Her brother provided her allowance and payed for her tuition fees. Unfortunately, Margie only finished 3rd year college because she got pregnant. She then got married to her husband, Mr. Sarie Y. Maata.
The responsibility of being in a marital relationship and a mother became one of her challenges in life. Their family had to transfer to Lupang Arienda, Antipolo Rizal, a simple house they started to build. Unfortunately, a disastrous event happened again that the house they started building was washed out because of Typhoon Ondoy.
Her sister in Pasig City provided Margie’s family a temporary shelter for two weeks, but they had to return to Antipolo so they built a “barong barong” just to have a shelter. Fortunately, her husband still had his job in Palau, giving them a chance to survive financially.
However, such distant relationship somehow resulted to Margie’s husband’s sudden change. He stopped communicating withMargie and even a simple letter from abroad was not made. Until one day, Margie found out that her husband was having an affair abroad. This led to their separation which made Margie a Solo Parent. Fortunately, an agreement was formed that her husband will still provide financial responsibility to their children.
To support her four children, Margie sold food in the market and accepted financial help from her siblilngs. Her sister, Hilda, even bought a small lot in Pasig City where they started to establish a small space for a small convenient store.
Come 2008, while she was walking in the street, her neighbour Ms. Nening Obreda approached her that her household is included in the masterlist of DSWD – NCR. She ran quickly to their Barangay and found out that she is eligible to become a member of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program.
Margie immediately started to complete the documents for the membership and attended the orientation series of Family Development Session and Community Involvement. However, after a few months, she received a working visa abroad in Dubai. She worked as a caregiver abroad and did other jobs such as being a messeuse just to have an extra income. Her eldest daughter, Sherwin Mae, took responsibility as a member of the program and guided her siblings while Margie is abroad.
In 2012, she was able to return to Philippines knowing that she can still let her children finish their schooling through their membership with Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program.
For Margie, the program helped them so much in terms of providing life lessons and extending their relationship towards achieving success. Her small convenient store was already extended into a small carenderia. She can now provide the needs of her children and at the same time, save money for their future needs.
“Sobrang nagpapasalamat ako sa Diyos na ako ay mapabilang sa Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, lalo na sa pagbibigay ng oportunidad na mapagtapos ko ang aking mga anak sa tulong ng cash grants na aming tinatanggap kada ikalawang buwan.
Malaki ang naitulong ng programa sa amin lalo na sa paghubog ko ng magagandang asal at maayos na pagpapamilya sa aking mga anak; ang itinuturo sa amin buwan buwan ng City Link sa Family Development Session ay siyang aming armas na bitbit sa pang-araw araw na Gawain, sa pinansyal, sa buhay, sa pulitika at sa pangpamayanan na Gawain.
Ang pag-unlad ng aming pamilya ay ikinalulugod namin at patuloy namin itong aayusin, nakakagalak ng loob na malamang mas tumaas ang antas ng aming buhay at kung ako man ay Gumraduate sa Programa, maluwag sa aking loob upang mas marami pang matulungan at maging Margie na katulad ko.” ###
From the reports of: Ebenezer Refulgente, Project Development Officer II, Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program Management Office