For nearly four years, Maritess Villa still cannot control being emotional every time she thinks about her four children. As a mother, it breaks her heart to leave them in their tribal community in Brgy. Laiban, Tanay in Rizal Province under her husband’s care.

But with every tear she sheds, Maritess believes that she is one step closer to giving them the best possible future she can provide for them.

Maritess, a 34-year-old Dumagat mother, is currently in her fourth year taking up Bachelor of Science in Agriculture Entrepreneurship in Cavite State University in Indang, Cavite Province.

Despite her age, she takes the challenge to finish her college education—an opportunity provided to her when her family became a beneficiary of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program in 2010.

The Pantawid Pamilya program is a human development program of the national government that provides conditional cash grants to qualified poor families in support for the needs on health, nutrition and education of children age zero to 18.

Maritess’ family is one of the more than 327,000 household-beneficiaries of the said program in the CALABARZON Region.

A chance at college

As a daughter of a Dumagat family in a far-flung rural area in Tanay town, Maritess shares that she already lost hope about getting an education.

“Sa hirap ng buhay, hindi ko naman mapilit ang mga magulang ko na pag-aralin ako dahil siyam kaming magkakapatid. Tumigil ako noong second year high school ako at nagsimulang magkaroon ng sariling pamilya,” she shared.

For her, starting a family at the age of 18 has ended her dreams of a better life.

“Kapag wala kaming bigas, kadalasan kamoteng kahoy ang niluluto ko para sa mga anak ko. Iba’t ibang luto na lang ang ginagawa ko para hindi sila magsawa,” Maritess shared.

As a young mother, Maritess can only hope to give a better life for her children. Despite her age, she understood that it is through education that she can break this cycle of poverty in the lives of Dumagat children.

In 2006, she took the Alternative Learning System (ALS) and passed the Accreditation and Equivalency Test where she got a high school diploma. But since it is their children’s needs that are always prioritized, pursuing a college education became impossible still.

However, in 2010, when she became a beneficiary of the Pantawid Pamilya program, a lot of new doors have opened for her.

Besides receiving financial assistance from the program to support most of the needs of their children in school, Maritess was selected to be a beneficiary of the Student Grants-in-Aid Program for Poverty Alleviation (SGPPA) in 2012.

The SGPPA is a project of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) that provides grants to members of Pantawid Pamilya households who are high school graduates and are not more than 30 years old. The said grant amounts to Php30,000.00 per semester, which covers tuition, board and lodging and other school-related expenses such as textbooks, uniform and school supplies.

“Napakaswerte ko at isa ako sa napiling benepisyaryo ng SGPPA. Nagkaroon ako ng bagong pag-asa, lalong lalo na para sa mga anak ko. Kahit malungkot na malayo ako sa pamilya ko, tinitiis ko talaga dahil para sa amin naman ang lahat ng ito,” Maritess said.

Within reach

Now in her last semester in college, Maritess can finally see the light.

“Itong pagtatapos ko ng college, napakalaking bagay nito. Gusto kong makahanap ng maayos na trabaho para lahat ng pangangailangan ng mga anak ko ay maibigay ko na,” said a teary-eyed Maritess.

In the university where she spent her last four years, Maritess does not mind being older than the rest of the students. Since the start of her college life, she has been determined to focus on getting the diploma, which she believes will be their ticket to a better life.

“Napakalaking bagay sa isang ina na katulad ko na masuportahan ang mga pangarap ng mga anak ko para ‘yung hirap na dinanas ko noon ay hindi na nila maranasan,” she shared in tears.

Today, with her graduation a couple of months away, Maritess’ tears when she misses her children are no longer of pain and sadness. Her tears now speak of her happiness and satisfaction that finally, she’ll be able to achieve her dream and make her children’s dreams happen.#