For Ma. Luz Necesario’s family, finally being able to eat three times daily is a milestone.

Luz, 33, can still recall how they usually sleep at night with an empty stomach. Her husband Renie, who is a fisherman, does not earn enough to even keep food on the table for their family of four.

“Nakikisakay lang po ng bangka ang asawa ko para makapangisda kaya maliit lang po ang kinikita nya. Tapos kapag malakas ang alon o masama ang panahon, hindi sya nakakapunta sa laot kaya wala s’yang naiuuwi para sa aming pamilya,” she shared.

As a housewife, Luz dreams for a change in their way of life. Thankfully, they became a beneficiary of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program and according to her, it brought her closer to her dreams little by little.

Saving for their own bangka

The Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program is a project of the national government that provides conditional cash grants to qualified poor families with children zero to 14 years old in support for their needs on health, nutrition and education.

The Necesario family is one of the first families in Brgy Villa Reyes, San Narciso, Quezon to be beneficiaries of the said program in 2008.

“Dahil po sa tulong ng programa, naibibigay na po namin ang mga pangangailangan ng mga bata. Malaki rin po ang naitulong sa pamilya namin na ‘yung kinikita ng asawa ko ay napupunta na sa pagpapalago ng aming kabuhayan,” she shared.

With their savings, the family was able to buy a boat for Renie’s livelihood. Now, he is able to earn enough to provide for the needs of his family. Luz shared how they are now able to eat three times a day and sometimes even grab a snack or two.

Further, Luz shares how they are able to save money for sending their eldest to high school. She recalls that before, people have to allot a big amount of money just for sending their children to school, which is located in the town proper. Most of them have to spend on transportation costs or boarding house rental.

With the four-classroom high school building constructed in their barangay under the Kalahi-CIDSS program, another of DSWD’s poverty alleviation programs, the cost of sending children to school became minimal. Hence, parents like her save money and are able to allot their savings for their other needs.

Tindahan for a more secured future

As a housewife, Luz wishes nothing but help her husband in improving their life, especially the future of their children. For her, it is not enough that they are able to eat a complete meal daily.

Hence, when she qualified to be a beneficiary of the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP), she immediately took advantage of the assistance.

The SLP is another DSWD program that provides zero-interest capital assistance to qualified poor families prioritizing Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries like Luz. The capital assistance is loaned to beneficiaries for their engagement in micro-enterprises.

The DSWD, through its convergence strategy, focuses its poverty alleviation programs like Pantawid Pamilya, Kalahi-CIDSS and SLP to the poor to help them towards improving their lives.

With Php10,000.00 loan from the SLP, Luz started a small business vending fish and frozen foods such as tocino and longganisa. After a year, she was able to pay back her loan without any trouble.

“Maliban sa puhunang pinahiram sa akin, malaki rin ang aking pasasalamat sa mga natutunan ko mula sa programa. Dito ko natutunan ang tamang paghawak ng pera para hindi malugi ang negosyo at ang tamang pagbubudget para sa aking pamilya para hindi na kami bumalik sa dati,” she shared.

For Luz, it is not just the food on their table that will be the measure of their family’s success. As a mother, she wishes her children to finish their college education, get a good job and start their own family they can fully provide for. with reports from DMGLapinid UPLB***