LUCK, DETERMINATION AND HARD WORK. Myra Rosas, 42, a beneficiary of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program from Pililla, Rizal shares that there are a lot of things she can do to help improve their family’s situation rather than completely relying on the cash grants provided by the program. From being a housewife, she now manages a small restaurant, fruit stand and sari-sari store that enables her to help her husband, who is a farmer, support their nine children, especially their education.

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Lucky 9—opportunities for a big family

Their home in Sitio Bugarin in Brgy. Halayhayin, Pililla, Rizal may have been small. However, for 42-year-old Myra Rosas, their humble home has protected their family of eleven for as long as she can remember.

Though she cannot forget how hard it is to see their home being demolished, she cannot hide how happy she is today that her heartache has turned out to be all worth it.

In October 2014, Myra’s family, a beneficiary of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, was displaced because of the construction of the windmill farm project in their sitio. The lot where their small home stood has been sold to the developers; hence, they have no choice but go.

Little did she know at that time that their displacement will lead them to a perfect place for their big family.

 

Memories of home

Naturally cheerful, Myra animatedly shares their family’s struggles back at their small home in Sitio Bugarin.

“Talagang mahirap ang buhay dahil sa dami ng aming mga anak. Pagpapakain pa lang sa aming lahat ay mahirap na, paano pa kaya ‘yung ibang pangangailangan nila,” she said.

According to Myra, no matter how hard it is for their family to ensure every stomach is full in each meal, she and her husband Joselito, 41, make sure that all of them are in school.

“Hindi araw-araw kumikita kami. Umaasa kami sa pagtatanim ng pinya at pag-aalaga ng hayop para sa pang-araw-araw naming gastusin. Sa dami naming pinag-aaral, talagang nahihirapan kami,” Myra said.

Thankfully, their family qualified to be a beneficiary of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program in 2012. According to Myra, it greatly helped their family, at least in ensuring their children’s allowance in school.

For Myra, it is also when good fortunes started for their big family.

From her savings, Myra invested on a small store where she sells “pasalubong” delicacies and fresh fruits. This allowed her to finally help her husband bring enough money for their nine children.

They managed to send three of their children to college with the help of different scholarship programs. The eldest is already a graduate of BS Psychology and works in a private company to support her own family.

 

Lucky 9

With their desire to ensure a good future for each of the nine children, Myra and her husband used the opportunity provided by their displacement to improve their lives.

They rented a stall along the road overlooking Laguna Bay using the money they received for the relocation. The stall—now known as Lucky 9 Restaurant among locals and tourists alike—is also their home, a fruit stand, a pasalubong center and a sari-sari store.

The view of the lake from their restaurant alone is enough to draw a lot of customers.

“Tuloy-tuloy ang aming pagsisikap para masigurong maging maayos ang buhay namin. Sa dami naming anak, dapat talagang maging masipag. Kahit may tulong kaming natatanggap mula sa Pantawid, natutunan ko ring hindi dapat doon na lang kami umasa, marami kaming p’wedeng gawin para sa ikatatagumpay namin,” Myra shared.

Today, of the seven children still under her care, five are in school. One of them is taking BS Forestry in the University of the Philippines through a scholarship. Though Myra admits that there are times that life is hard for them, she acknowledges how her children are willing to share the struggle just so everyone can get their deserved education.

As she passes an empty new road in their barangay, Myra cheerily points out what used to be their home. Though their journey towards where they are now started there, she is glad that their displacement allowed her big family to come a little closer to their dreams of a good future.

For all the things that happened, Myra can never feel any luckier, and she’ll be forever grateful for all these opportunities.#