Cagayan de Oro City — Mary Che Vitor will wake up early in the morning helping her mother, Anita, in taking a bath and dressing up her sister who has a cerebral palsy.

An 18-year old graduate of senior high school of Cagayan de Oro City National High School (CDOCNHS) here, Mary Che will always devote time doing the household chores and taking care of her eldest sister, Mary Love, daily despite her hectic schedule.

Awarded with Highest Honors during the recent graduation in her class, Mary Che disclosed that she strived hard to excel in her class in order to earn good grades and lay strong foundation for her future.

Mary Che dreams of becoming a Psychologist.

Second of the five Vitor siblings, Mary Che promised to help her parents in rearing the eldest sister, who has mobility and verbal limitations.

Medical dictionary defines cerebral palsy as a condition marked by impaired muscle coordination (spastic paralysis) and/or other disabilities, typically caused by damage to the brain before or at birth.

May Che said she will provide physical therapist, occupational therapist, and speech therapist for Mary Love when she will finish her college studies and earn a stable job to improve the condition of her eldest sister.

She is also planning to buy mobility aids and assistive devices for Mary Love.

Active in school and co-curricular activities

 May Che has been a consistent honor student since her elementary years in Kauswagan Elementary School.

Included in the fast learners’ section when she was in Grade 5 and 6, Mary Che still maintain excellent grades, earning recognition and awards during commencement exercises and graduation.

During her junior high school days, May Che enrolled at CDOCNHS. She did not only maintain her top post in her class, but, became active to co-curricular and school activities.

She has been representing her school in school press conferences, regional and provincial quiz bees and bowls during those years.

Mary loves to read and write stories during her elementary years. When an opportunity opened for her to the school paper, she applied for a position. She eventually became an essay writer and later an editor-in-chief of the school paper, The Naked Truth, a position she holds until she graduated in senior high school.

Trying her luck in organizing and leading her fellow students, May Che won the Treasurer position in the elections of their supreme student government.

She also won the trust and confidence of her fellow students taking the Humanities and Social Sciences track by making her their class president.

‘4Ps, best initiative of the government’

 Mary Che’s family is an active member of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Zone 6, Tinago, Capisnon, Kauswagan in this city.

While she’s about to graduate at the program after finishing senior high school, Mary Che asked DSWD and the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte to continue the program to help the children of the poor Filipino families finish, at least, high school education and guarantee their health.

“Pantawid had been a blessing to us because it helps us in reaching for our dreams, that is, to live out of poverty,” she said in vernacular.

She added, “that’s why I strive hard to excel in my studies because I am confident that there is this program helping us in our needs. The small income from my father’s salary as security guard cannot compensate to our needs in our studies and daily needs. Thanks to the 4Ps program.”

The 4Ps is a human development measure of the national government that provides conditional cash grants to the poorest of the poor, to improve the health, nutrition, and the education of children aged 0-18. It is patterned after the conditional cash transfer (CCT) schemes in Latin American and African countries, which have lifted millions of people around the world from poverty.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is the lead government agency of the 4Ps.

Pantawid Pamilya is only one of the poverty reduction strategies of the national government implemented by the DSWD, with the primary aim to break the intergenerational poverty cycle.

In Northern Mindanao, there are more than 270,000 household active beneficiaries of the program.

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Written by Oliver Badel Inodeo, Pantawid Pamilya Information Officer, DSWD

The Reception and Study Center for Children (RSCC), a facility run by the Department of Social Welfare and Development Field Office X, provides a homelike environment where children feel at home and safe during their stay. Aside from their daily recreational activities in the center, children regularly have outdoor activities such as offering them opportunities for physical activity, freedom and movement, and promoting a sense of well-being. Outdoor activities are regularly conducted for the children in RSCC to enable them to have a closer experience with nature.

Since beach swimming expands the children’s horizon to discover nature and serves as a therapeutic approach in addressing their anxieties, the children residents of RSCC recently had their outdoor activity held at Marvilla Beach Resort, Opol, Misamis Oriental last February 15, 2018. The children with special needs also had a chance to dip at the beach and benefited from the natural healing effect of sea water.

Once can see that the children had a lot of fun playing through the interactive games facilitated by the RSCC staff. During the said activity, the children whose birthdays fall on the month of February were also recognized by blowing of candles on their cake.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development is mandated to protect the welfare of the children, including the children residents of RSCC. While they are still under the custody of the DSWD, the latter assures that their welfare and their stay at the RSCC will be something that is meaningful and worthwhile.

Written by Faith M. Sabulana, DSWD / Rosanel P. Pague, DSWD

Pangantucan, Bukidnon — Sally Joy Falcis, a barangay health worker here, inspects her gardeearly in the morning daily, taking out weeds and watering the plants.

The 31-year old Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program beneficiary of Barangay Madaya, a 45-minute ride away from the Poblacion, tends a backyard garden planted with a wide variety of vegetables. Sally and her husband, Eduard, cultivate their garden in order to grow healthy vegetables.

Sally adopted the bio-intensive gardening method in growing their plants. Trained by the municipal agriculture office, Sally grows Baguio Beans, Ladies Fingers or locally known as Okra, String Beans, Sweet Potato, Alogbati (Basella Alba), Horse Radish, Chinese Cabbage, Eggplant, and Amplaya (Momordica Charantia).

Waste Segregation

Sally and her family uses recycled and processed waste materials in taking care of the vegetables in their garden.

Setting up an improvised trash recovery material facility: Malata (biodegradable materials; Dili Malata (non-biodegradable), and Mapuslan (recyclable materials); the family members sees to it that household wastes are segregated.

The family dumps biodegradable materials into the compost pit so that they will have an organic fertilizer when it decomposed, while plastic bags and used containers are filled with soil by the family for their garden. They call this method as “bagging” to prevent chicken and other domestic animals from destroying newly planted vegetables. Bagging also prevents soil erosion by rain waters.

The family also uses dung from their domesticated chickens as fertilizer to their vegetables.

Community participation

Sally is one of the 91 Pantawid Pamilya household beneficiaries of Barangay Madaya who adopted bio-intensive gardening in this village. Madaya is home to a population of 1,294 according to the 2010 Census of Population and Housing of the Philippine Statistics Authority.

Meanwhile, another Pantawid Pamilya beneficiary in Madaya village Cheryl Poringuez, 50, said she and her family always get their nutritional needs from their grown vegetables.

With 10 children, four of whom are her dependents, Cheryl feeds her children with vegetables on the table daily. She cooks and serves vegetables in a variety of ways to encourage her children to eat the nutritious food.

Madaya Barangay Councilor Jemuel Palabrica discloses that Pangantucan Mayor Miguel Silva Jr issued a memorandum order on backyard gardening dated May 9, 2017. Furthermore, Palabrica enthused that his village had since intensified its campaign to every resident to plant vegetables in their backyard.

Mayor Silva, in his memorandum order number 047-05-2017 issued to all barangay captains, directed the village chiefs to monitor the gardening activities of the 4Ps members.

Vegetable planting, Silva said, will help solve malnutrition in the town, adding that barangay captains shall check regularly the backyard gardens of 4Ps members.

The barangay captain shall then issue a compliance certificate to every 4ps household for free for the Municipal Inter-Agency Committee to monitor the compliance of the beneficiaries.

To support the call of the mayor, the Barangay Council of Madaya and all other 18 barangays of Pangantucan passed and approved an ordinance urging all 4Ps and non-4Ps beneficiaries to have backyard gardening using the organic method.

Palabrica disclosed that his barangay has been providing free vegetable seeds such as carrots, baguio beans, okra, eggplant, among others to residents.

He notes that the council has been purchasing P1,500.00 worth of vegetables seeds for distribution to its residents quarterly.

Furthermore, he says that the council will continue to enforce the ordinance to ensure nutritious food will be served during meals in every family.

The onset of the dry spell here, affecting the produce for more than a month to date, farmers like Sally need to water the plants daily to prevent its soil from drying up.

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Photos by Jerome Humawan, FDS focal and Oliver Badel Inodeo, Pantawid Pamilya Information Officer.

Pangantucan, Bukidnon — Sally Joy Falcis, a barangay health worker here, inspects her garden early in the morning daily, taking out weeds and watering the plants.

The 31-year old Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program beneficiary of Barangay Madaya, a 45-minute ride away from the Poblacion, tends a backyard garden planted with a wide variety of vegetables. Sally and her husband, Eduard, cultivate their garden in order to grow healthy vegetables.

Sally adopted the bio-intensive gardening method in growing their plants. Trained by the municipal agriculture office, Sally grows Baguio Beans, Ladies Fingers or locally known as Okra, String Beans, Sweet Potato, Alogbati (Basella Alba), Horse Radish, Chinese Cabbage, Eggplant, and Amplaya (Momordica Charantia).

Waste Segregation

Sally and her family uses recycled and processed waste materials in taking care of the vegetables in their garden.

Setting up an improvised trash recovery material facility: Malata (biodegradable materials; Dili Malata (non-biodegradable), and Mapuslan (recyclable materials); the family members sees to it that household wastes are segregated.

The family dumps biodegradable materials into the compost pit so that they will have an organic fertilizer when it decomposed, while plastic bags and used containers are filled with soil by the family for their garden. They call this method as “bagging” to prevent chicken and other domestic animals from destroying newly planted vegetables. Bagging also prevents soil erosion by rain waters.

The family also uses dung from their domesticated chickens as fertilizer to their vegetables.

Community participation

Sally is one of the 91 Pantawid Pamilya household beneficiaries of Barangay Madaya who adopted bio-intensive gardening in this village. Madaya is home to a population of 1,294 according to the 2010 Census of Population and Housing of the Philippine Statistics Authority.

Meanwhile, another Pantawid Pamilya beneficiary in Madaya village Cheryl Poringuez, 50, said she and her family always get their nutritional needs from their grown vegetables.

With 10 children, four of whom are her dependents, Cheryl feeds her children with vegetables on the table daily. She cooks and serves vegetables in a variety of ways to encourage her children to eat the nutritious food.

Madaya Barangay Councilor Jemuel Palabrica discloses that Pangantucan Mayor Miguel Silva Jr issued a memorandum order on backyard gardening dated May 9, 2017. Furthermore, Palabrica enthused that his village had since intensified its campaign to every resident to plant vegetables in their backyard.

Mayor Silva, in his memorandum order number 047-05-2017 issued to all barangay captains, directed the village chiefs to monitor the gardening activities of the 4Ps members.

Vegetable planting, Silva said, will help solve malnutrition in the town, adding that barangay captains shall check regularly the backyard gardens of 4Ps members.

The barangay captain shall then issue a compliance certificate to every 4ps household for free for the Municipal Inter-Agency Committee to monitor the compliance of the beneficiaries.

To support the call of the mayor, the Barangay Council of Madaya and all other 18 barangays of Pangantucan passed and approved an ordinance urging all 4Ps and non-4Ps beneficiaries to have backyard gardening using the organic method.

Palabrica disclosed that his barangay has been providing free vegetable seeds such as carrots, baguio beans, okra, eggplant, among others to residents.

He notes that the council has been purchasing P1,500.00 worth of vegetables seeds for distribution to its residents quarterly.

Furthermore, he says that the council will continue to enforce the ordinance to ensure nutritious food will be served during meals in every family.

The onset of the dry spell here, affecting the produce for more than a month to date, farmers like Sally need to water the plants daily to prevent its soil from drying up.

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Photos by Jerome Humawan, FDS focal and Oliver Badel Inodeo, Pantawid Pamilya Information Officer.

We all go through various challenges in life.  For Elsa Marie P.  Ganzan, being able to surpass her trials in life indeed, left her lots of lessons.

A mother of six, Elsa is an epitome of a solo parent, who has nothing in mind but, to be able to find means to provide for the needs of   her growing children. She is a picture of strength and determination to withstand trials and the ups and downs in life.

Her day starts with cooking kakanin or native delicacies to be sold for the day and at the same time, cooking the meals for her five children and preparing them for school.  Elsa earns a living by selling kakanin or native delicacies and cooked viand.

A petite 47-year-old woman like Elsa, one would never know that, she had indeed been to a lot of hardships in life much more, a victim of domestic violence and abuse before.

Living with an abusive and violent partner for 14 years was never easy for Elsa.  Her partner, then a construction worker, always finds fault in her, oftentimes, accusing her of having other affairs.  This led to continuous and habitual beatings which were witnessed by her children.  Elsa then, did not have the courage of pressing charges against him, out of pity to her children.  She painstakingly endured every beating and all forms of abuse inflicted by her partner for the sake of her children.

It was then in 2014 when she could no longer take the abuse of her live in partner when he would also beat her children.  She resorted to filing charges against her partner.  This was the reason why Elsa and her kids were brought to the Regional Haven for Women in Northern Mindanao for temporary shelter.

It was at the Center where Elsa learned how to cook various delicacies.  While at the Center, it was not only Elsa who was helped but more so, her children to slowly recover from the trauma they had experienced from their abusive father.

For Elsa, it was a blessing in disguise that they were placed for temporary shelter at the Center.  “I am grateful that through the Haven of the Department of Social Welfare and Development, not only was I able to recover from the bad experiences and the trauma I have had but, it has also provided me opportunities to learn a lot of skills which I have used to meet the needs of my children.  It is never easy to be a solo parent, but, with the help of the DSWD, it has somehow eased the burden.”

Through the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s recommendation, Elsa and her kids were also granted a unit by the Filipino Housing Project in Calaanan Relocation Site in Cagayan de Oro City.  Aside from the free housing Unit that they were granted with, the children are presently enrolled at the nearby Public Schools to which, Elsa is even more thankful.

Elsa’s story is only one of the many lives who have been transformed and have proved to themselves that indeed, there is hope after all the trials they have been through.  This also shows how the Department of Social Welfare and Development, through the untiring support and labor of the staff of the Regional Haven for Women, have helped restore the once broken and hopeless lives of women and children victims of abuse and violence.

Written by Mitzie S. Santiago, DSWD

Bajau hands-on training on weaving conducted last February 17 to 19, 2016 in Iligan City (Photo Credits to Mr. Francis Flores)

DSWD staffs with the Bajau participants and their finish products (Photo Credits to Mr. Norman Pacturanan)

Iligan City — The Department of Social Welfare and Development in collaboration with the local government of Iligan City provided a 3-day skills training on weaving to the Bajau community last February 17 to 19, 2016 to contribute to the improvement of their socio-economic status through capacity building that will prepare them in their micro-enterprise ventures and other livelihood opportunities.

The Bajau in the Philippines are often referred to as the ‘sea gypsies‘, people that live not only by the sea, but often on the sea. Officially known as the Sama or Samal, these groups are an indigenous fishing icon and their lifestyles are unique in many ways. The Bajau are traditionally from the numerous islands in and around the Sulu Archipelago. They are heavily drowned around the coastal regions of Mindanao and the northern regions of Borneo. The distraction and conflict in their places of origin caused them to elope and seek refuge from other places, mostly living in the streets.

Begging involving Bajaus have become one of the prominent problems in almost all cities of the country. In Iligan City, the community of Bajau exist for about 10 years now with a population of more than 100 households. Although some of them have already considered fishing as their source of livelihood, majority are still relying on begging for survival.

The project came about through the Bottom-Up-Budgeting (BuB) program where the civil society groups identified this as of poverty related issues of the city. Making this as a priority, through BuB program, the communities such as Bajaus are assured to receive a community-based and need-based projects.

“This training would open not only livelihood opportunities but more importantly it would open a lot of minds and hopefully we can attract more supporters to create more projects similar to these, for our indigenous peoples”, says Mr. Norman Pacturanan, the BuB Focal Person for DSWD’s Sustainable Livelihood Program.

The BuB program implemented through DSWD, sought for alternative means of livelihood for the Bajau taking into consideration their culture and traditions. Nomadic in nature, the department sees the important of giving these people with life-skills related training making it more sustainable.

Written by Jamila M. Taha, DSWD

Mrs. Aida A. Papel, a certified Massage Therapist from Barangay Pahindong, Medina, Misamis Oriental (Photo Credits to Nolanie Gadia, PDO II of Medina, Misamis Oriental)

The Sustainable Livelihood Program is a multi-stakeholder program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development that aims to improve the standard of living of poor households by facilitating opportunities for development and management of resources viable for micro-enterprises, community empowerment through skills training and employment facilitation. It gives significant priority to the Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries in all its interventions since they are considered to be the poorest of the poor as signified by the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTS-PR).

One of the modalities of the program provides Technical Skills Training, a capacity-building strategy to prepare program participants to better manage livelihood opportunities and pro-actively ensures optimum quality performance in managing their livelihood activities.

In 2015, the program produced about 3,500 graduates of technical courses with NC II certifications as assessed by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA). One of the notable recipients of this program is Mrs. Aida A. Papel, a 50 year old mother of six children, a Person with Disability (PWD) and a Pantawid Pamilya beneficiary of Barangay Pahindong, Medina, Misamis Oriental since 2011.

Realities of life

Medina is a forth class municipality located in the coastal and eastern portion of the province of Misamis Oriental, 106 kilometers drive from Cagayan de Oro City, with a population of 38,969 and home to 2,059 Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program beneficiaries.

Mrs. Papel is leaving in a neighborhood close to her relatives with her husband whose only source of livelihood is farming. “Life was difficult then, but we worked it out together to survive our daily needs”, she says. However, their simple living was challenged because of an accident that burned Mrs. Papel’s hands, almost burned their home as well and eventually cost her marriage. “Gibiyaan ko sa akong bana tungod kay wala kaagwanta og atiman sa ako panahon sa kalisod (my husband left me when I was terribly ill, he couldn’t take care of me)”, she adds.

Separated from her husband, Mrs. Papel has to work harder and face life’s challenges alone, for her children’s welfare, she took every livelihood opportunity she could despite of her disability. Neglected at first but eventually finds her way forward, she works more than anyone, from a sales agent to a community volunteer and later a community leader. Well ahead, she was enlisted as one of the beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program in the area, which immensely made an impact to her family particularly her children who are still in grade school.

Gears toward success

At the beginning of the skills training provided by the department in partnership with the Skills Mastery Institute for this particular area, Mrs. Papel was discouraged to partake due to her disability. Her burned hands which resulted to deformity may seem unsuited for massage therapy. However, Mrs. Papel’s perseverance and determination to learn aided her to participate and complete the 25 days theoretical and hands-on training, which eventually earned her the National Certificate II on Massage Therapy along with her groupmates of 29 other beneficiaries.

Since then, the group has established their very own Massage Center, through the support of their local executive. They also have an exclusive contract of service with Duka Bay Resort which earns them P200.00 each per client apart from extra tips. “Isip usa sa mga nagdumala sa among Massage Center, nalipay gyud ko nga ang akong giiskwelahan kay nagamit gyud nako sa akong panginabuhi (being part owner and manager of our Massage Center, I feel glad that I have used my learning for living)”, she says.

Each member of the group shares part of their income to their group fund for the maintenance of their business. Although, the building and electricity is covered by the local government, they also anticipate the future operations of their business if there will be a change of government leadership in their municipality.

Beyond this junctures, Mrs. Papel’s now harvest the fruits of her hard work. She has not only restored their house but also the status of their family to the community. Her children can now go to school with new clothes, schools supplies and reasonable allowance. Above all, her experiences brought her self-worth and boosts her confidence and strength to move farther.

“Nagpasalamat ko sa DSWD pinanguluhan ni Secretary Dinky Soliman, sa gihatag nga oportunidad sa ako isip usa ka kabus ug benepisyaryo sa Pantawid Pamilya, nga makabakod og mulambo ang panginabuhi pinaagi sa mga program niini (I am thankful to the DSWD through the leadership of Secretary Corazon “Dinky” Juliano-Soliman for the opportunity they gave me being one of the poor and beneficiaries of Pantawid Pamilya, to develop and improve our lives through their programs. Sana magpadayon kini nga mga programa (I hope these programs will continue),” she says.

“Nanawagan ko sa akong mga kauban nga PWD nga dili mawad-an ug paglaum ug magpadayon kita sa pagpaningkamot alang sa kalambuan sa atong pamilya (I am appealing to other PWDs not to lose hope and strive farther for the betterment of your families),” she pleas.

“Hindi hadlang ang iyong kapansanan para maabot mo ang iyong pinapangarap na magandang buhay (disability is not a constraining factor to achieve your dream of a beautiful life),” she affirms.

Written by Jamila M. Taha, DSWD