When Judith left him and their three children, their family finally got a home to call their own.

For several years, the Mundin Family rents a small house near the railroad in Brgy. Poblacion II in Sto. Tomas, Batangas Province. Oscar, 45, works as a tricycle driver and earns Php200 daily. He struggles to pay for their dues since they have other things to spend on such as food and electric bills.

As such, Judith, 35, decided that every one of them has to make a sacrifice so they can all experience a better life. She left for Hong Kong in 2010 and worked as a domestic helper.  When she returned in 2012, she was able to save enough money to buy the house they are renting.  For them, it was a milestone as this marked the start of building a better family for them.

Clearly, their expenses were reduced; however, the couple knew that there are more expenses to come considering that that their children are growing and their needs are increasing. Hence, Judith decided to return to Hongkong in July 2014.

“Kahit malayo s’ya (referring to his wife), isa pa rin kaming matatag at masayang pamilya,” shared 45 years old Oscar.

Learning to dream big

When Judith thought of working abroad, Oscar, being a supportive husband, looked at the possible changes in their setup as a challenge to their family. He knows that being both a father and mother to his three children will be hard, but he knows it is for the good life they are eyeing for their children.

The same year Judith worked abroad, the family qualified to be a beneficiary of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program.

It is a human development program that provides conditional cash grants to qualified poor families in support for the health and educational needs of children zero to 18 years old. The grants, however, are provided in exchange for the beneficiaries’ compliance to program conditions, which includes sending children to school and availing of monthly preventive health checkups.

Oscar became the household-grantee of the program and as a result, he attends monthly Family Development Sessions (FDS), a requirement for parent-grantees under the Pantawid Pamilya program.

For Oscar, it is through the FDS that he was fueled to dream bigger for his family and prepare for his children’s future.

Still a strong and happy family

“Hindi talaga sapat ang kita sa tricycle dahil maraming kakumpetensya. Kaya napagpasyahan naming magtinda na lamang ng prutas para mas kumita ng mas malaki,” Oscar shared.

Oscar converted his tricycle into a cart where he sells sliced pineapple or watermelon, whichever is in season. With this strategy, Oscar takes home at least Php500.00 a day and help with the daily expenses of the family. Also, he budgets the family finances well. As part of what he learned from the FDS, he saves from their monthly earnings to ensure they can support the future needs of their children, especially their college education.

When it comes to providing motherly advice to his children, Oscar admits that this somewhat is  difficult for him. However, he took up the challenge. As a sign of his support to his wife, he never neglects his duties at home. He does chores such as cooking, doing the laundry and even teaching his children with assignments.

He is happy, however, that he and his wife have thought their children to be responsible at a young age. Nicole, 11, and Nicaella, 9, already take charge of some of the house chores including washing the dishes and cleaning their home. John Carl tries to be of help, too.

“Tumatawag naman madalas si Judith sa amin para kamustahin ang mga bata at tingnan kung ano ang kailangan nila. Kahit malayo s’ya, hindi n’ya kami pinababayaan,” shared Oscar.

In the Mundin home, Judith’s distance is only reflected in her absence. The home is kept clean and orderly at all times and the children are healthy and well taken care of. Oscar, on the other hand, is a reflection of a responsible father, and a mother to his children. He even helps the community through being a Peace Officer in their barangay.

For every member of the Mundin Family, it does not hurt to sacrifice a little today. They believe that their distance will not only make them stronger but will also ensure their family’s good future, especially that of their children.***