May 04, 2026 – From a hopeful 4Ps child to a ‘source’ of hope in the community.

Whenever she hears people talking negatively about beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), she cannot hide her frustration.

For Rosanna Patilano, her frustration does not root from being an employee of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) but a deeper experience since childhood–being a child-beneficiary herself of the 4Ps.

“Hindi sila [kami] tamad, kulang lamang sila [kami] sa oportunidad,” shared Rosanna, who now stands proud as an example that 4Ps beneficiaries like her can rise from any situation given the right opportunities coupled with grit and hard work.

Maximizing opportunities

“Naobserbahan at naranasan ko ang hirap ng maging isang mahirap, minsang walang maipansaing at tanging nilagang saging at bubot na laman ng San Fernando ang kayang ihain sa hapag. Sa gabi, tanging bunsol lang ang nagiging tanglaw namin tuwing gumagawa ng takdang aralin,” stated Rosanna, describing their situation growing up with seven family members in a small nipa hut in Brgy. Mapagong, Pagbilao, Quezon.

However, even for her young mind, it did not occur to her that her parents’ efforts were lacking.

“Nakita ko kung paanong nagsikap ang Nanay ko para maigapang kami sa pamamagitan ng pananahi gamit ang kanyang lumang makina, gayundin ang aking Tatay na isang PWD [hindi makalakad] na pinipilit makapagsaka kahit madalas ang puhunan ay utang pa, nagbabakasakali na kikita ngunit sa bawat ani ay halos kulang pa,” recalled Rosanna, acknowledging how both her parents sacrificed and worked hard for them.

Rosanna added that despite the hardships, all of them did not lose hope, especially with their dream of going to school and changing their lives for the better.

So when they became beneficiaries of the 4Ps in 2012, a new kind of hope sparked in Rosanna’s young mind.

“Bilang isang mag-aaral na galing sa mahirap na pamilya, malaking tulong po sa pag-aaral namin ‘yung mga grants na natanggap namin. Allowance at bayarin po sa school namin na tatlong nag-aaral, pambili ng pagkain, pangbayad sa pang-igib ng tubig kasi wala po kaming sariling linya ng tubig at kuryente that time,” shared Rosanna, who added that she also noticed a better relationship inside their home mostly due to what her mother picked up from the Family Development Sessions she attended monthly.

When she reached college, she was included as a recipient of the Expanded Student Grants-in-Aid Program for Poverty Alleviation, a program of the Commission on Higher Education prioritizing members of 4Ps households to provide opportunities to at least one member per household to finish college.

“Naging scholar din ako ng CFCA na ngayon ay mas kilala bilang St. Vincent Foundation. Tinulungan rin ako ng aking mga kuya sa allowance dahil kahit hindi sila nakapagtapos ng kolehiyo, alam nilang ang pagkamit ng pangarap ko ay pagkamit ng pangarap ng aming buong pamilya,” she gratefully shared.

As a result of the support from various programs and her whole family’s sacrifices and hard work, she graduated in 2019 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Technical Teacher Education Major in Electronics Technology from Southern Luzon State University Lucena City Campus. In September of the same year, she passed the Licensure Examination for Teachers.

Due to the pandemic and her lack of experience, she was barely able to secure a stable job after graduation. 

Gratefully, in 2021, she applied and was hired as a Social Welfare Assistant under the 4Ps of the DSWD Field Office IV-A. In 2025, she was promoted as a Municipal Link and is currently assigned in Lopez, Quezon handling around 170 family-beneficiaries.

Giving hope to 4Ps beneficiaries

For her, being an employee of the DSWD not only opened opportunities for her family to rise from their situation, but also for other 4Ps families to be guided in maximizing opportunities offered by the government and other stakeholders.

“Nakikita ko ang aking sarili sa mga benepisyaryo na ngayon ay hinahawakan ko, ramdam ko ang bigat ng bawat k’wento ng buhay na naririnig ko sa bawat pag-uusap. Mayroong mas mabigat pa sa naranasan ko na minsan ay nagpapababaw din ng luha ko, nakikita ko ang pagpupursigi nila na makaahon sa kahirapan sa pamamagitan ng trabaho na hindi mo maisip kung kakayanin mo,” shared Rosanna, who makes sure to use her family’s experiences as a 4Ps beneficiary to tailor interventions and services for them.

Moreover, Rosanna works hard to give them the same kind of ‘hope’ that the 4Ps gave her as a child-beneficiary.

“Hindi kami nito tinuruang maging tamad, bagkos ay tinuruan kaming mangarap at binigyan ng pagkakataon na umangat at putulin ang siklo ng kahirapan sa aming pamilya,” shared Rosanna, who is also proud to share that her younger sister is also a licensed professional teacher now.

Looking at her family’s life now, which is far better than what she experienced as a child, Rossana remains grateful, especially to the people behind the 4Ps.

“Maraming salamat po sa tax ninyo dahil maraming 4Ps [beneficiaries] ang nakakapagtapos at nagtatagumpay. Hayaan po ninyo at ibabalik po namin ang tax ninyo sa pamamagitan ng mga karangalan [at ng paglilingkod],” shared Rosanna, who understands that helping her beneficiaries to ‘positively’ contribute to the community is the best ‘payback’ she can ever give to everything that the government invested in her and her family.#

*Story based from Rosanna Patilano’s Facebook post detailing her experiences as a former 4Ps beneficiary and a Project Development Officer of the DSWD Field Office IV-A