December 18, 2025 – From being a struggling mother to a teacher who inspires 

Blindfolded, despite being assisted by another mother, she seemed lost taking even a single step.

“Ano po ang pakiramdam na umaasa?”

Up to this day, Janice Idusora, a resident of Brgy. San Roque in Catanauan, Quezon, clearly recalls how she was caught off guard hearing this question from her municipal link after this short exercise during their family development session with co-beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) back in 2014.

“Sabi ko, oo nga ano, parang ang hirap ‘nung ikaw ang tinutulungan. Kaya dapat tulungan natin ang sarili natin para sa huli, tayo naman ang makakatulong,” said Janice, who, at that time, has returned to school and enrolled in college at the age of 29.

Despite all the struggles, her desire to finish what she started has all the more strengthened.

More than a decade later, Janice now serves as a public school teacher and is a proud 4Ps graduate, who takes the lead in guiding those who are blindfolded–from parents who are losing hope to children who are finding it hard to move forward.

Taking off the blindfold

Janice started her family at a young age so she did not know how to help her husband, Lito, who works as an on-call laborer assisting in transporting products such as bananas, coconuts, and brooms earning PhP 500 a day to support their family of five.

When their family became a beneficiary of the 4Ps in 2012, Janice shared that this has been a huge help to support the family, especially the education of her three children.

“Kahit mahirap, talagang may pangarap ang mga anak namin. Naisip ko, paano kung mawala kami sa 4Ps, paano sila makakapagcollege,” recalled Janice. 

This thought pushed her to consider going to college.

“Sabi ko noon, kung hindi ko sila uunahan na mag-aral, hindi sila makakapagcollege. Hindi namin p’wedeng iasa sa kanila ang pag-angat ng aming buhay. Dapat sa aming mga magulang magsimula,” she shared.

Being in college at her age and with all her responsibilities made her daily life difficult. However, she did not lose hope.

“Pinagsabay ko ‘yung pag-aasikaso sa mga anak ko at ang pag-aaral ko. Maaga akong gumigising para asikasuhin sila, maglaba at magluto,” shared Janice, who added that there were even times when she had to stretch her last PhP 50 so she can survive a school day.

According to Janice, their being a beneficiary of the 4Ps had also been a huge factor in her college education, not only because they no longer have to worry about their expenses for their children’s education but also because she was able to secure a scholarship from the Commission on Higher Education for being a member of a 4Ps household.

“Talagang mahalaga sa isang mahirap na pamilya na may makatapos ng kolehiyo at magkaroon ng stable job. Edukasyon talaga ang pundasyon para makaangat ang isang pamilya,” she shared.

Assisting others to take a step

Janice finished college in 2018 and passed the Licensure Examination for Teachers the following year.

Since securing a job as a parateacher under the local government during the pandemic and later on as a public school teacher in their neighboring town, Janice slowly found confidence in supporting her family, especially the education of her three children.

Today, still with the constant hard work of her husband as a laborer, two of their children are in college while their youngest is in senior high school.

Slowly, they are able to build a sturdy home and own a motorcycle.

“Stable na ‘yung trabaho ko, pero hindi ko pa masasabing stable talaga kami financially habang nag-aaral pa ang mga anak namin. Pero at least, hindi na katulad ng dati na kapag binagyo ay iiyak na lang kami sa isang sulok,” she shared.

As their family graduated from the 4Ps last November 2025, Janice takes pride that her family stands as a proof that it is not impossible for poor families to succeed and stand on their own, not anymore purely relying on others’ assistance to take a step forward.

“Kaya nga lagi ko ring sinasabi sa mga parents at sa mga bata (sa klase), sikapin nilang pag-aralin ang mga bata at mangarap, ‘wag susuko dahil kung titigil tayo, walang mangyayari sa pangarap natin,” shared Janice with pride.#

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The family development session (FDS) is a component of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) that is conducted monthly teaching family strengthening and development topics including children’s rights, financial management, and disaster preparedness among others. The attendance of parent-beneficiaries of the 4Ps to this session every month is one of their co-responsibilities as beneficiaries of the program.