For at least three years, 45-year-old Mayra Señeres of Brgy. Silangan Talaongan in Cavinti, Laguna Province felt she’s alone in taking care of the needs of her six children and her one mentally-challenged and two physically-challenged siblings after her husband suffered from stroke. As a caretaker of a vacation home who earns about Php1,500 a month, Mayra finds it difficult to support her family’s needs, especially ensuring that her children are in school.

When her family became a beneficiary of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program in 2012, Mayra found new hope. Her children’s needs in school have been taken care of, and she can already allot her income for their other needs, particularly on the medication of her husband and siblings. She is also grateful that because of her attendance to monthly Family Development Sessions under the program, she not only learned a lot about strengthening her family but also enabled her to find new friends. For Mayra, having friends whom she can share her struggles with lifts off her burden, at least emotionally, and makes her stronger to face each day.

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‘I’m no longer alone’

Getting a hand, regaining hope

 

When her husband suffered from stroke, her whole world fell apart.

For Mayra Señeres, 45, more than realizing that her husband no longer remembers her, what hurts more is that she is left alone to take care of everything.

Mayra, a resident of Brgy. Silangan Talaongan in Cavinti, Laguna Province, works as a caretaker of a vacation house where she gets Php3,000 every two months. With her husband’s condition, it became the only source of income to attend to the needs of her six children. Her husband’s medication also takes a big portion of their budget.

She also has three siblings (two are paralyzed from suffering from stroke and one has Down syndrome) under her care. Ensuring they have daily medications is an additional burden for Mayra.

“Kung iisipin, talagang mahirap at hindi kakayanin na ako lang ang nagtatrabaho para sa pamilya ko. Wala na kaming ibang aasahan at kung hindi ako kikilos, walang mangyayari sa amin,” shared Mayra in tears.

Mayra admits that she pities herself and her family for their situation. She pities her children more because though she sees them dreaming big, she cannot support their education, especially sending them to college.

With this, she fears that she can never help any of them get out of this kind of situation.

 

Getting help

When her family became a beneficiary of DSWD’s Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program in 2012, a portion of Mayra’s burden has been lifted off her shoulders.

“Malaking bagay para sa akin ‘yung tulong ng programa lalong lalo na sa pagsisigurong nabibigay ko ang mga pangangailangan ng mga anak ko. Hindi ko na iniisip ang panggastos nila sa school at ang iba pa nilang pangangailangan,” she shared.

While there is help, Mayra encourages her children to work harder to achieve their dreams.

“Alam nila kung gaano kahirap ang maging mahirap. Kung hindi kami magsisipag at magtitiyaga, hindi kami makakaalis sa ganitong sitwasyon,” she added.

Besides the cash grants provided by the program, Mayra is thankful for the opportunities provided to them as a beneficiary of the program. Her son Jay Sander, 20, has been provided a scholarship under the Expanded Student Grants-in-Aid Program for Poverty Alleviation (E-SGPPA).

The said scholarship is a project of the Commission on Higher Education and targets members of Pantawid Pamilya households who are high school graduates to support their college education. In the CALABARZON Region, there are at least 2,000 Pantawid beneficiaries who are enrolled in college with the help of the E-SGPPA.

After three years from his high school graduation and working part time as a construction worker, Jay Sander went back to school last year. He enrolled in Laguna State Polytechnic University in Sta. Cruz, Laguna and is now in his second year taking up BS Psychology.

“Ang laki talaga ng pasasalamat namin sa E-SGPPA dahil nabigyan s’ya ng pagkakataon na makatuntong ng kolehiyo at maabot ang kanyang pangarap. Pursigido s’yang mag-aral. Sabi n’ya, tutulungan n’ya ang aming pamilya kapag nakapagtapos s’ya,” shared Mayra.

With these opportunities for their family, Mayra finds hope. She knows she no longer is alone in chasing the dreams she thought was impossible to achieve before.

 

Getting strength

More than having found a partner in ensuring a good future for her children, Mayra has found good friends, too.

“Minsan lang ako makalabas ng bahay dahil hindi ko naman p’wedeng iwanan ‘yung asawa ko at mga kapatid ko nang matagal. Dahil sa Pantawid at sa pag-attend ko ng FDS, hindi lang ako natututo kundi nakahanap din ako ng mga kaibigan. Masarap pala sa pakiramdam na naibabahagi mo ang nararanasan mo sa iba,” she shared.

Though Mayra knows that her fellow Pantawid beneficiaries cannot help her financially, she is glad that their friendship lifts a lot of her emotional burden.

For Mayra, more than the financial and emotional burden lifted off her life through the help of Pantawid Pamilya, what she is most thankful for is the hope she has regained. For her, finding hope again means being more determined to help her family, especially her children, have a better life in the future.#