A future teacher’s story of her rekindled hope for her dreams

All throughout her childhood, she thought that the lack of opportunities was her number one enemy. Never did she thought that her “full of positivity” self will turn out to be her greatest adversary.

“Sa lahat ng pinagdaanan ko, nawalan na ako ng pag-asa na makatuntong pa ng kolehiyo. Naisip ko na magtrabaho na lang kahit na ilang ulit akong pinaalalahanan ng Nanay ko na p’wede na akong makapag-aral nang libre,” shared Laysa Arasa, 21, a resident of Brgy. Burol in Majayjay, Laguna.

Laysa grew up in a family of nine. Getulio, her father, is a farmer while her mother, Salome, is a housemaid. Though Laysa relates that they eat thrice a day, she knew at a young age that they are challenged financially.

“Pumapasok kami sa school kahit walang baon. Minsan nagbabaon ng saging o kamote para hindi kami magutom sa school,” recalled Laysa, who was very determined to go to school at her young age. For a young Laysa, she has a concrete dream of going to college, getting a good job and taking her family out of their situation.

To achieve all these, Laysa decided to make her own move. However, she constantly struggled.

Working for her education

When she was in Grade 5, Laysa, who was 11 years old at that time, started working to earn for her school needs.

“Tuwing Sabado at Linggo, naglilinis ako ng bahay ng teacher ko para kumita. Binibigyan ako ng 100 pesos na pinagkakasya ko sa buong linggo na papasok ako,” she said.

During summer vacations, she also engaged in cleaning houses to earn for the next school year. What she earns, she uses to buy school supplies and other needs.

When she reached third year in high school, she decided to work as a stay-in house helper.

“Hindi madali na nangangatulong ka habang nag-aaral ka. Nalulungkot ako dahil hindi ako nakakauwi sa bahay namin pero kinailangan kong magtiis para makatulong ako sa pamilya ko at makatapos ako,” said Laysa.

This situation only fueled her desire to finish college. At that time, she promised herself that she’ll not be forever a house helper. However, when she graduated in high school, Laysa’s dream of a college education seemed to be still very far.

“Bumalik ako sa pangagamuhan dahil pinangako sa akin ng amo ko na pag-aaralin ako pagkatapos ng isang taon. Nagkaroon ako ng pag-asa,” shared Laysa.

Being 16, Laysa found it hard to deal with the challenges of a full-time work around the house as well as babysitting a small child.

“Noong panahon na ‘yun, malapit nang magpasukan pero hindi pa rin ako sinasabihan na mag-enroll kaya gumawa ako ng paraan para makaalis at makauwi sa amin dahil gustong gusto ko talagang mag-aral,” she said.

Ending her dreams

When she went back to Majayjay, Laysa decided to enroll in a vocational school. She used her savings to enroll; however, she did not finish the course because her savings ran out. Hence, she decided to work again.

“Sumuko na ako. Naisip ko na baka hindi talaga para sa akin ang pagtatapos ng pag-aaral dahil kahit ano namang gawin ko ay sa pagtatrabaho din naman ako bumabagsak,” she shared sadly.

She engaged from one job to another such as working in a bakery and a small pizza stall. She experienced working towards her limits such as not eating at the right time, working until late at night and getting not enough salary for all her hard work.

With all these, Laysa knew her dreams were over.

Renewed hope

Laysa’s family is a beneficiary of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development. As a family-beneficiary, Laysa became qualified to become a grantee of the Expanded Student Grants-in-Aid Program for Poverty Alleviation (ESGPPA) of the Commission on Higher Education.

The said program targets at least one member of a Pantawid Pamilya household-beneficiary to get a college degree. This enables poor families to have at least one college graduate who can have higher chances of getting better-paying jobs in the future and later on increase the family’s chances of getting out of poverty.

“Paulit-ulit akong kinakausap ni Nanay tungkol sa ESGPPA pero paulit-ulit din akong tumanggi. Alam ng nanay ko na pangarap ko talagang makapag-aral. Pero noong panahon na ‘yun, sumuko na talaga ako,” she shared.

In the end, Laysa accepted the opportunity. She enrolled in Laguna Polytechnic State University after passing the requirements of the university. She cannot be more thankful for the support on her college education, particularly her tuition and allowance for school projects.

She did not waste any of the opportunity that she was back in school. She focused on all her subjects, fueled by her all-time dream of graduating and getting a decent job.

This June, Laysa will be graduating with a degree in Secondary Education major in Physical Science. For this, she cannot hide her excitement.

“Yung pagtatapos ko, kalahati pa lang sa katuparan ng pangarap ko. Magtatrabaho pa ako at tutulungan ang pamilya ko na makaahon. Ipapaayos ko pa rin ang bahay namin na matagal na naming pangarap na pamilya,” she shared with pride.

After graduation, she plans to start working immediately. She’ll work her way supporting her family as well as saving enough to pay for her enrollment in a review center so she can take the licensure examination.

For everything that she went through, Laysa is very thankful to her mother who encouraged her when she has already given up on her dreams. She is also grateful to the opportunities that allowed her to be in school and get a college diploma.

Students from three public elementary schools in Sariaya, Quezon received personal items and school supplies from various government agencies who participated in a Community Outreach Program recently conducted by the CALABARZON Regional Development Council (RDC).

A total of 998 students from Castañas, Guis-Guis San Roque and Lutgarda Causapin elementary schools received the gifts from the Council. This includes slippers, underwear, food packs, school and hygiene supplies. Medical and dental services were also provided by the Department of Health and the Armed Forces of the Philippines Southern Luzon Command (SOLCOM) and a free haircut provided by the Philippine National Police (PNP).

The Council Vice Chairman and National Economic and Development Agency (NEDA) Regional Dir. Luis G. Banua shared that the outreach program is a way for NGAs to reach out and improve their delivery of goods and services to communities in the region.

“Ito ay panimula lamang. Kung may mga pangangailangan pa na kayang maihatid sa mga komunidad tulad dito ay tulong-tulong po naming aayusin at aaksyunan,” Dir Banua said during his message during the activity

Aside from providing gifts and services to the students from the said schools, the outreach program also aims to mitigate insurgency situations in the locality and nearby communities. The community outreach is also part of the Yakap Bayan: Community Mobilization Support Program which aims to strengthen the community and its members against lawlessness and criminality through providing sustainable system of rehabilitation and after care to drug surrenderees.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development Assistant Secretary for Special Concerns Jose Antonio Hernandez, in his message, emphasized that the gifts and services being provided aim to help students to be focused and perform better at school, and not be affected by the absence of basic necessities.

“Ang mga ganitong gawain ng mga ahensya at organisasyon ay para sa kinabukasan ninyong mga bata. Nasa sa inyo ang pag-asa ng Sariaya,” Assec Hernandez stressed.

The Regional Development Council is a regional organization comprised of local government units, national government agencies (NGAs), non-government organizations and other development partners working together for an integrated implementation of different programs and services of government agencies to achieve a holistic development in the region.***

Unlike most students, she dreads school openings.

As a mother of four, Jenelyn Duhig, 39, fears the responsibility of having to provide her children with uniform, shoes, bags and other supplies. For her, the daily necessities are often a problem, and the idea of buying all these things for her children is even a worse problem.

She even needs to walk two kilometers, in a neighboring village, just to buy the cheapest kilo of rice. The viand would be picked from their backyard garden as there would be no other means to get a better meal.

Jenelyn’s husband, Mark Anthony Sr., is an on-call carpenter while she manages a small sari-sari store. Life was hard as it was, but later, they were evicted from their home in Antipolo City. They suffered living on the streets and later moved to a relocation site in Sitio Tanza 2 in Brgy. San Jose, which is far from their source of income and even has no electricity.

Willing to start over again, she tried working as a domestic helper in the Middle East. After several months, she had to go home because her son suffered from an accident.

What she dreads before, she dreads all the same, perhaps even more. Their expenses are getting bigger and bigger as the years go by.

Five children in school

Today, Jenelyn takes pride that her family is far from having the life they used to experience. All her five children are in school, one of them is in college.

She is excited every time the school opens as this indicates a new year that will bring her children closer to their dreams.

Her eldest, Jomarie, is currently in third year taking BS Mechanical Engineering at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines. Mary Joy, 17, is in Grade 12; Donna Mae, 14, in Grade 10; Mark Anthony Jr., 12, in Grade 8, and; Lawrence, 7, in Grade 3.

For Jenelyn, what happened in their life is not pure luck. It is a combination of chasing opportunities, working hard every day and getting the commitment of all her children to succeed.

Chasing opportunities

In 2014, their family became a beneficiary of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program. This is a program implemented by the Department of Social Welfare and Development that provides cash grants to qualified poor families to help support the needs of children on health and education in exchange for compliance to certain program conditions.

“Naging katuwang namin ang gobyerno sa pagpapaaral sa aming mga anak. Sinasabi man nilang maliit lang ang halaga, para sa aming walang anumang bisyo, napakalaking tulong nito,” said Jenelyn, who added that parents like her learn from Family Development Sessions (FDS) that teach them on topics such as the rights of children, strengthening family relationships and budget management.

While there is help, her children became more committed to go to school since they are able to provide most of their school needs, including their daily allowance and school supplies. When her eldest reached college, he became a scholar of the Department of Science and Technology.

“Pero kahit na kaayuda namin ang gobyerno, hindi pa rin kami tumigil magsikap na mag-asawa. Kailangan naming magsikap para tuloy-tuloy na makapag-aral ang mga bata,” she shared.

Mark Anthony Sr. engaged in more projects, and with his hard work, they were able to save enough money to improve their own house.

Looking at their two-story house today, Jenelyn cannot believe that they came from a ‘past’ where she cannot even provide for the school needs of her children, and what was more pitiful is how she needed to scout for the cheapest rice for the family.

Now, she is operating a small rice retail and school supply store in their neighborhood. And what is better news is that she has no more worries as she is confident that she can support all of their children’s education.# with reports from SMAmpaso

“Ang hirap kapag wala kang pera. Pati mga kapitbahay na katabi lang parang ang layo pa rin sayo,” Jennifer Dimayuga thought to herself.

She almost teared up at the thought of how their life was before they became a Pantawid Pamilya beneficiary. Her husband, Thomas, worked as a charcoal maker while Jennifer planted and harvested some vegetables to earn extra income. Their house was not in a good condition that part of it was just tent that leaked when it rained. Now, after years of being a laborer, Thomas became a carpenter and has a contract in Cagayan De Oro since last year.

“Sakripisyo po talaga. Kahit nung pasko at New Year hindi po namin siya kasama. Kasi sabi po niya, sama-sama nga tayo wala naman tayong pera,” Jennifer related.

As the provider of the family, Thomas would only want to earn much more for his family, not being able to come home in exchange of all the income or bonuses he can get while he is away. Jennifer made sure that every cent that came from his husband will be used for their children’s education and health. She continued planting and harvesting vegetables, selling them every now and then; their Brgy. Captain endorsed her to work as a Barangay Nutritionist Scholar (BNS) where she gets Php 1,000.00 a month. All these, added to the cash grant being provided by Pantawid, made their life easier than it was before.

“Dati po kapag nagkakasakit, sobrang hirap manghiram ng pera. Walang mahiraman kasi parang kapag alam na wala ka namang ibabayad, lalong walang magpapahiram sayo. Ngayon meron na ring lumalapit sa amin, kasi dati kami lagi yung humihingi ng tulong.”

Reminiscing all their hardships, Jennifer and Thomas are also proud parents as they see how their kids strive to study hard, even withstanding the long walk through muddy pathway just so they could get to school every day. The kids never demanded for big things, but are contented with what they have.

“Sabi ko nga sa mga anak ko, bawat sentimong matanganan niyo pahalagahan niyo kasi yan ay bihirang dumating na oppoprtunity. Katulad ngayon, meron na kaming napagkukunan ng pangbili ng gamit sa eskwela, pangbiling bigas.”

The change was not eminent, but is constant. Dimayuga family can’t be thankful enough that they can now afford things they cannot before. Besides the vegetables they have on the backyard, Jennifer can now cook a proper meal for the family.

“Ramdam po talaga ang pagbabago, lalo na po sa pagkain. Kung dati po nagtitiis kami sa nilagang okra, ngayon nakakatikim na ng fried chicken yung mga anak ko. Weekly, makakakain ka lang ng karne pag may mapupuntahan kang birthday. Dati kapag Noche Buena at may kalahating kilo ng pansit okay na, pero ngayon kita mo sa table namin, puno yung table namin. May goldilocks na kami, dati tasty lang yung pinaka-special.”

Bearing witness to the change that this family has gone through are the members of the community. They even endorsed Dimayuga Family for the Huwarang Pantawid Pamilya 2018.

“Kapag may dumating na opportunity sa inyo, pahalagahan kasi ito ang nagiging daan para talagang magbago yung buhay mo. Huwag mong palalagpasin, huwag mong sasayangin dahil minsan lang ito dumating.”

Aeta families from Batangas Province received health services during the Katutubo Caravan conducted last June 8 in Brgy. Pinagsibaan in Rosario in partnership with the Department of Health (DOH) Region IV-A.

The said caravan was organized by the Department of Social Welfare and Development Field Office IV-A for the beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program who belong to the indigenous peoples (IP) group in the municipalities of Rosario and San Luis.

Around 200 individuals (parents and children) have received medical checkups, dental services as well as medicines, vitamins and referrals for further medications.

Jorro Dela Cruz, 41, a resident of Brgy. Bagong Tubig in San Luis, is one of the beneficiaries who availed of the medical checkup. He was referred to the Rural Health Unit of San Luis for further medication since he has been dealing with cough for a couple of months already.

Besides him, his three children were provided with vitamins during the activity.

“Maganda po na mayroong ganito (referring to the Katutubo Caravan) hindi lamang dahil nabibigyan kami ng serbisyo kung hindi ay nabibigyan kami ng pagkakataon na makasalamuha ang iba naming mga katribo,” shared Dela Cruz.

Cristina Viegan, Regional Program Coordinator of Pantawid Pamilya in the CALABARZON Region, shared that activities like this are conducted to ensure that the IP-beneficiaries are provided with venues to showcase their culture and receive services from the national and local government.

She reminded the beneficiaries to ensure that their health, especially that of their children, are always taken care of. Viegan also emphasized to the IP-beneficiaries to value their culture, their education and their dreams of having a better life.

Changing views on health and education

Monaliza Remo, 42, another beneficiary from Brgy. Putingkahoy in Rosario, shared how the program has helped the Aeta families in terms of valuing their health and education.

A supplier of herbal medicines herself, Remo shared how she and other parents in the community have continuously submit their children for health checkups since the start of the Pantawid Pamilya program.

“Noong una, hindi talaga mapilit ang mga nanay dala na rin marahil sa wala kami madalas sa aming mga bahay. Ang mga Aeta kasi, kung saan-saan pumupunta para maghanap ng pagkakakitaan,” she shared.

Monaliza shared that eventually, the mothers have prioritized their children’s health together with their education.

As part of the co-responsibilities with the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, beneficiaries are required to follow certain conditions on health including the monthly health checkup of children, 85 percent monthly school attendance of children and monthly attendance to Family Development Sessions of parents.

To date, around 2,000 household-beneficiaries in the CALABARZON Region belong to IP groups (both for the regular and modified Conditional Cash Transfer schemes).#

It was payday. A smile drew on Marissa Soliman’s face. Shopping – that was all she could think of. With all of the money that she earned from working in a spa, she would go to the nearest mall to buy everything that she wanted.

After her shopping spree, she would go home but not to cook for her children nor to check them but to go straight to a neighbor’s house who invited her to play tong its or bingo.

“Nauubos po ang kita naming mag-asawa noon sa luho at pagsusugal. Nandiyan na rin pong gumagamit siya ng ipinagbabawal na gamot. Iyong mga bisyo na rin po namin ang naging rason ng paghihiwalay namin noon”, Marissa shared.

Their vices caused their frequent fights and misunderstandings. In early 2010, her husband left them and went to Bicol. Marissa had to work alone to support the needs of their children. She even thought that her family would never be complete again.

Breaking the bad habit

It was in the same year when Marissa became a member of the Pantawid Pamilya. She recalled that during one of the Family Development Sessions (FDS), their City Link emphasized the importance of the family. Marissa then realized that it was not too late for her to make things right.

She worked on leaving her vices behind and started focusing on her children instead. She also started sending her husband messages sharing how her day in the FDS went and what her learnings were.

“Hindi na po sumasagot si Mario sa text ko kaya hindi ko na po inasahang uuwi pa siya. Hangga’t isang araw, bumalik siya dito sa bahay namin sa Dasmariñas. Wala na siyang bisyo. Naghanap po ulit siya ng trabaho. Nagsimula po kami ulit. Uma-attend na rin siya ng FDS kasama ang mga anak namin. Nabago po kaming lahat ng Pantawid. Naayos nito ang pagsasama naming pamilya”, Marissa recalled.

Working their way out of poverty

Apart from the changes that the program brought to Marissa’s family, the cash grant that they are receiving has been helping their children with their educational and health needs. She could not even forget how her Pantawid ID saved them from a dilemma when she gave birth to her youngest child.

“Wala po kaming ni piso na binayaran sa PhP130,000.00 na bill namin noong manganak po ako sa aking bunso. Laking pasalamat po namin sa Diyos, sa Pantawid at sa PhilHealth dahil hindi po talaga namin alam kung saan namin kukuhain ang pambayad sa hospital”, said Marissa.

The support that they are receiving from the program motivates Marissa and Mario to work even harder for their three children. In fact, the couple are planning to open a sari-sari store at home. With their faith and hardwork, they are sure that they would be able to make their way out of poverty.

“Nagpapasalamat po talaga ako sa Pantawid dahil kung hindi po kayo dumating sa buhay namin, baka hanggang ngayon ay nagsusugal pa rin kami o baka hanggang ngayon ay hindi pa rin buo ang aming pamilya”, Marissa said with her eyes full of positivity.

A future teacher’s story of her rekindled hope for her dreams

All throughout her childhood, she thought that the lack of opportunities was her number one enemy. Never did she thought that her “full of positivity” self will turn out to be her greatest adversary.

“Sa lahat ng pinagdaanan ko, nawalan na ako ng pag-asa na makatuntong pa ng kolehiyo. Naisip ko na magtrabaho na lang kahit na ilang ulit akong pinaalalahanan ng Nanay ko na p’wede na akong makapag-aral nang libre,” shared Laysa Arasa, 21, a resident of Brgy. Burol in Majayjay, Laguna.

Laysa grew up in a family of nine. Getulio, her father, is a farmer while her mother, Salome, is a housemaid. Though Laysa relates that they eat thrice a day, she knew at a young age that they are challenged financially.

“Pumapasok kami sa school kahit walang baon. Minsan nagbabaon ng saging o kamote para hindi kami magutom sa school,” recalled Laysa, who was very determined to go to school at her young age. For a young Laysa, she has a concrete dream of going to college, getting a good job and taking her family out of their situation.

To achieve all these, Laysa decided to make her own move. However, she constantly struggled.

Working for her education

When she was in Grade 5, Laysa, who was 11 years old at that time, started working to earn for her school needs.

“Tuwing Sabado at Linggo, naglilinis ako ng bahay ng teacher ko para kumita. Binibigyan ako ng 100 pesos na pinagkakasya ko sa buong linggo na papasok ako,” she said.

During summer vacations, she also engaged in cleaning houses to earn for the next school year. What she earns, she uses to buy school supplies and other needs.

When she reached third year in high school, she decided to work as a stay-in house helper.

“Hindi madali na nangangatulong ka habang nag-aaral ka. Nalulungkot ako dahil hindi ako nakakauwi sa bahay namin pero kinailangan kong magtiis para makatulong ako sa pamilya ko at makatapos ako,” said Laysa.

This situation only fueled her desire to finish college. At that time, she promised herself that she’ll not be forever a house helper. However, when she graduated in high school, Laysa’s dream of a college education seemed to be still very far.

“Bumalik ako sa pangagamuhan dahil pinangako sa akin ng amo ko na pag-aaralin ako pagkatapos ng isang taon. Nagkaroon ako ng pag-asa,” shared Laysa.

Being 16, Laysa found it hard to deal with the challenges of a full-time work around the house as well as babysitting a small child.

“Noong panahon na ‘yun, malapit nang magpasukan pero hindi pa rin ako sinasabihan na mag-enroll kaya gumawa ako ng paraan para makaalis at makauwi sa amin dahil gustong gusto ko talagang mag-aral,” she said.

Ending her dreams

When she went back to Majayjay, Laysa decided to enroll in a vocational school. She used her savings to enroll; however, she did not finish the course because her savings ran out. Hence, she decided to work again.

“Sumuko na ako. Naisip ko na baka hindi talaga para sa akin ang pagtatapos ng pag-aaral dahil kahit ano namang gawin ko ay sa pagtatrabaho din naman ako bumabagsak,” she shared sadly.

She engaged from one job to another such as working in a bakery and a small pizza stall. She experienced working towards her limits such as not eating at the right time, working until late at night and getting not enough salary for all her hard work.

With all these, Laysa knew her dreams were over.

Renewed hope

Laysa’s family is a beneficiary of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development. As a family-beneficiary, Laysa became qualified to become a grantee of the Expanded Student Grants-in-Aid Program for Poverty Alleviation (ESGPPA) of the Commission on Higher Education.

The said program targets at least one member of a Pantawid Pamilya household-beneficiary to get a college degree. This enables poor families to have at least one college graduate who can have higher chances of getting better-paying jobs in the future and later on increase the family’s chances of getting out of poverty.

“Paulit-ulit akong kinakausap ni Nanay tungkol sa ESGPPA pero paulit-ulit din akong tumanggi. Alam ng nanay ko na pangarap ko talagang makapag-aral. Pero noong panahon na ‘yun, sumuko na talaga ako,” she shared.

In the end, Laysa accepted the opportunity. She enrolled in Laguna Polytechnic State University after passing the requirements of the university. She cannot be more thankful for the support on her college education, particularly her tuition and allowance for school projects.

She did not waste any of the opportunity that she was back in school. She focused on all her subjects, fueled by her all-time dream of graduating and getting a decent job.

This June, Laysa will be graduating with a degree in Secondary Education major in Physical Science. For this, she cannot hide her excitement.

“Yung pagtatapos ko, kalahati pa lang sa katuparan ng pangarap ko. Magtatrabaho pa ako at tutulungan ang pamilya ko na makaahon. Ipapaayos ko pa rin ang bahay namin na matagal na naming pangarap na pamilya,” she shared with pride.

After graduation, she plans to start working immediately. She’ll work her way supporting her family as well as saving enough to pay for her enrollment in a review center so she can take the licensure examination.

For everything that she went through, Laysa is very thankful to her mother who encouraged her when she has already given up on her dreams. She is also grateful to the opportunities that allowed her to be in school and get a college diploma.

But most of all, she is thankful and proud of herself. She has proven that she is indeed her own enemy, but she knows that she is also her own friend when it comes to dreaming and reaching it.# with reports from ARMakipagay

Mirasol Ariap can no longer recall how and when her friendship with Julie Sarabia started. It has been ages but all that she knows is that Julie is a hardworking mother of 14 children.

In a small shop near a highway at Brgy. Pulvorista in Kawit, Cavite is where Mirasol and Julie are usually seen after lunch. Along with other mothers who want to earn during their free time, the two make themselves busy by sewing and making rugs.

Julie used to be a plain housewife who rely on the meager income of her husband Wilson. They had a hard time getting through the day with the Php500.00 that Wilson is earning from working as a carpenter.

“Labing-isa na po ang anak namin nang dumating ang Pantawid Pamilya noong 2010. Hindi ko na rin po alam kung paano kaming nakararaos sa araw-araw noon. Ang kaunting kinikita po ni Wilson ay nauubos lamang pambayad ng utang”, recalled Julie.

The cash grant that they have  been receiving eased the  couple’s worry  about their  children’s schooling and other health needs. Julie never even thought that another door of opportunity would open for them after being with the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program.

With the  help  of  the  Sustainable  Livelihood  Program  (SLP),  their  association  Samahang Kawiteñas was formed. The livelihood assistance that they received from the program was used to buy five sewing machines that they are now using in rug and bag making. They are now working on adding more products to make and sell.

An inspiration to others

From  being  a  simple  housewife  who  spent  her  afternoons  at  home,  Julie  is  now earning PhP600.00 every week from making rugs. Insufficient it may seem but this has been helping them with their needs that could not be covered by the cash grants and Wilson’s income.

Julie proudly shared how they managed to send all of their children to school despite of them being a big family. Their diligence has even gained the respect and admiration of their neighbors and friends, including Mirasol.

“Kapag  napunta  ka  sa  bahay  nila,  iyong  dingding  nila  ay  puro  picture  ng  batang  naka-toga. Sinisikap talaga nilang mapag-aral ang kanilang mga anak kahit marami. Kasama rin si Julie sa mga kumumbinsi sa akin na sumali sa Samahang Kawiteñas kaya heto ako ngayon, kumikita na rin sa pagsasalansa ng basahan”, Mirasol said.

 Making it possible 

The journey has always been tough for Julie and her family but she is confident that their hardwork will soon pay off and that nothing is impossible for someone who dreams.

“Mas  nagsisikap  na  kami  sa  buhay  dahil  alam  naming  hindi  kami  dapat  lamang  umasa  sa Pantawid. Kung hinayaan kong nasa bahay lamang ako, hindi ko malalamang mayroon pa akong magagawang mas kapaki-pakinabang bukod sa pagiging ina”, said Julie.