Over 5,000 families under the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program flocked in Pelaez Sports Center last September 28, 2014 to celebrate National Family Day.

With this year’s theme as “Pamilyang Pilipino para sa Pagbabago: Tumatawid sa Kaunlaran,” the Department of Social Welfare and Development conducted the Pantawid Pamilya National Family Day and Convergence Caravan in observance to the National Family Week, a yearly nationwide celebration held every fourth of September.

According to Atty. Araceli F. Solamillo, the event is an opportunity for the beneficiaries to share their stories of positive changes now that they have become empowered to help themselves out of poverty with the help of the resources poured in by the government and with the non-government entities.

The Napone family, who was one of the families who participated in the event said that because of Pantawid Pamilya’s family development sessions, their family relationship have strengthened, their children are more excited in going to school, they are wiser in their expenses, and more participative in community works. The Napone family – who hails from Guinsiliban, Camiguin – was named as the Regional Huwarang Pantawid Pamilya 2014.

Irah Cristina Esporma, an 11-year-old girl who is under the same program also shared that because of Pantawid Pamilya, her parents have become more supportive towards her schooling and that she has become more confident over her dream that someday she would be able to finish school and find a good job so that she can support her parents when they grow old. Asked what she wanted to be when she grows up, she answered, “I want to work with the DSWD, as a social worker, so that I can help those who are also in need – like how DSWD has helped me and my family when we were in need.”

The event also presented the Pantawid Pamilya exemplary children, the Huwarang Pantawid Pamilya and model families who have served faithfully in the communities. Various national government agencies, non-government organizations, civil society groups and the academe shared in the conduct of the event, celebrating these positive changes that the beneficiaries have shared.

Pantawid Pamilya is a human development program of the national government that invests in the health and education of children 0 to 18 years old from eligible poor households.

It provides cash grants of as much as P1,400 to qualified households provided that they comply with certain conditions of sending their children to school, bringing them to health centers regularly for check ups and attending family development sessions.

As of September 2014, there are now 253,385 families in Northern Mindanao who are under the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program.###smu