On her way to the barangay hall for their monthly family development session, 51-year-old Remedios Panganiban brings with her what others will call trash. From plastic bottles to tin cans, she eagerly carries them to the venue knowing that soon, it will turn into something useful.

She is not alone, though. The rest of the 24 members of the parent group she leads do the same thing.

Remedios, a resident of Brgy. Biga in Calatagan, Batangas, Province, is the parent leader assigned to handle the group of parent-grantees of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program in their sitio.

“Napagkasunduan namin na magkaroon ng isang project kung saan kami kikita kahit konting halaga. Nabuo itong trash-to-cash project mula sa isa sa mga topic sa FDS,” Remedios shared.

The FDS or the family development session, one of the co-responsibilities of beneficiaries to the Pantawid Pamilya program, is a monthly gathering of parent grantees where they are taught topics to help strengthen families and empower them to improve their living condition. Some of the topics discussed in the FDS include marital relationship, budget management and disaster management.

“Natandaan ko noon, nag-FDS kami na ang topic ay waste segregation at ang aming tagapagsalita ay mula sa MENRO (Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office). Nabanggit po n’ya ang trash-to-cash project, at naisip namin iyong subukan,” Remedios said.

So on their way home after that particular FDS, the group talked about starting such project. They know they will be helping the environment in a way, but they also know they will be helping each other’s life.

The following month for their next monthly meeting, all of them carry sacks or bags full of scrap materials on their way to the FDS’ venue. And, it did not end there.

 

Trash now, cash later

Prima Estilo, 45, another parent-grantee in the said group shared how they have agreed upon the project.

“Lahat kami ay sang-ayon sa aming proyekto dahil kahit papaano ay mayroon kaming konting pagkakakitaan,” Prima shared.

For five months now, every FDS meeting has become an income-generating activity for the group. They have arranged for a buyer to come to the barangay hall, their usual FDS venue, for a month’s worth of trash collected by each member. Remedios, as the parent leader, collects the cash and saves them in the bank they recently opened for the group.

For the past few months, they have at least 1,500 pesos in the bank.

 

For everyone

At first, the goal of the trash-to-cash project has been to help them buy school supplies for their children every June. However, they have become more dedicated to help each other improve their lives as a group.

“Sana kapag medyo malaki na ‘yung pera namin, makapagtayo kami ng aming negosyo kung saan kami mas kikita pa lalo,” Remedios said.

Hearing their parent leader, all the 10 other members present cannot agree with her more.

“Meron pa kaming isang natutunan sa FDS at iyon ay isa sa pwede naming tingnang pagkakitaan. ‘Yung paggawa ng vermicast,” shared Divina Macalalad, 39, another group member.

Vermicast is an organic fertilizer that is made through composting waste products using earthworms. The said process was introduced to this parent group by the MENRO in one of their FDS, too. Some of their members have already successfully used this process and started using the fertilizer for their own crops. According to them, a kilo of vermicast now costs about 15 pesos.

“Dahil din sa proyekto naming ito, marami na rin kaming naitutulong sa baranggay. Dahil sa pangongolekta ng mga basura, mas malinis na ang aming kapaligiran at mas maganda na sa paningin,” shared Divina.

 

The value of friends, partners

Every member of this parent group has long known each other as most of them are neighbors or relatives. However, belonging in a single group has made them closer to each other.

“Nakikita ko sa grupo ko ang totoong pagkakaisa. Kapag may mga meeting, madali silang kausapin. Lagi silang sumusuporta sa kahit anong pagkasunduan namin,” shared Remedios.

Their Municipal Link, Hazel Belgica, has even commended this group for having 100 percent attendance in all monthly sessions starting January 2014.

According to Divina, maybe one of the reasons they have achieved this is because of how their leader leads them, and to which Remedios answers that it is everyone’s participation and commitment that really made them successful.

“Naniniwala rin ang bawat isa sa amin sa kahalagahan ng FDS sa amin bilang mga magulang. Marami kaming natututunan dito na nagagamit namin para sa ikabubuti ng aming pamilya,” said Remedios.

However, what all of them agrees now is that from being simply neighbors or relatives, they have become each other’s friend and partner—to whom they can always share a laugh and a dream with. With every trash they collect now is a step closer for the dreams of each of their member.# (with reports from HBBelgica – ML, Calatagan, Batangas)***