To embrace it with optimism is what the 33-year-old Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program beneficiary Atiya Enting Jumdail always does whenever she faces a new challenge on her life. She says that every challenge that comes her way brings a perfect opportunity to learn through change. To her, learning through challenges is a strategy that has long helped her through the countless trials that she experienced ever since she and his husband started their lives together.
Atiya has been married for eighteen years to Timbasil Jumdail, a fisherman. With the meager income of P3,000 a month, the couple struggled to support even the studies of their six children. Atiya, however, carried the challenge devotedly and surpassed it together with her husband.
“Simula nang masama kami sa Pantawid Pamilya, marami ang nagbago sa buhay namin. Nagkaroon kami ng karamay sa pinagdadaanan namin (Since we became beneficiaries of Pantawid Pamilya, many changes came in to our lives. Now we are not alone on our struggles),” Atiya recounted.
Positive change
Jumdail family is among the first beneficiaries of Pantawid Pamilya in Hadji Panglima Tahil, Sulu. According to them, receiving their first grant from the program in 2009 brought changes to their lives.
“Noong nakuha namin ‘yung una naming cash grant, tuwang-tuwa kami dahil naramdaman namin na may kaagapay kami sa pagpapaaral sa mga anak ko (We were very happy when we got our first cash grant because we finally felt that we are supported on sending our children to school),” said Atiya.
Pantawid Pamilya did not only help the couple send their children to school. Part of the first grants that they received was used as well in upgrading his pump boat, which then gave him a boost on his fishing.
Small successes
The boost on Timbasil’s fishing gave the family a head start on their life. His added earnings were able to add up to the capital of Atiya on their sari-sari store.
With the small but sustainable income of the couple, they were able to ensure that the studies of the children are continued.
For the couple, the education of their children is a paramount consideration. This is why they insisted on sending to school even their married son and his wife. The changes that happened in their lives, no matter how small, were able to contribute to their family’s development.
For them, diligence is key.
Convergence of help
Thankful for how their lives were able to develop through DSWD’s Pantawid Pamilya, Jumdali family yet again received another support by being the first batch of families to avail assistance from Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP).
SLP is another project of DSWD that provides zero-interest capital assistance loan to eligible individuals or groups.
“Napakalaki ng pasasalamat namin sa DSWD kasi hindi lang isang program ‘yung tumutulong sa amin. ‘Yung nahiram namin na pera sa SLP, ginamit namin pandagdag na puhunan sa tindahan namin (We are very grateful to DSWD because we are supported by more than one of their programs. The loan that we got from SLP was used as added capital to our store),” said Atiya.
Through the combined income from the sari-sari store and fishing, the couple was able to buy a house in mainland Jolo for their children who are in high school and college.
“Dati, nakakaya naming mag-survive pero ‘nung dumating ‘yung Pantawid Pamilya at SLP, naramdaman naming mag-asawa na kayang magbago ang buhay namin. Hindi man namin inasahan pero malaki ang naitulong ng gobyerno sa aming mga mahihirap (Even if our family survives before, the moment Pantawid Pamilya and SLP went to our life made us feel that we are capable of changing our lives. We did not expect it but the government really gave a big help to us),” they gladly told.
The couple also actively joins different community-based activities such as mangrove planting funded by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, organic planting funded by the Department of Agriculture, and cash-for-work activities wherein they were able to build a seawall for their community. All these activities not only gave the couple an additional income but a deeper sense of purpose as well that transpires to their community.
Mutual gratefulness
According to Department of Social Welfare and Development Secretary Corazon Juliano-Soliman, the changes that happened to the lives of the beneficiaries of the different programs of the Department are not solely brought by the assistance of the government, but because of the willingness of the individuals, families, and communities as well towards change.
“Nagpapasalamat kami sa aming mga benepisyaryo sa panininwala na kaya nilang mabago ‘yung aspeto ng buhay nila. Ang mga programa ng DSWD at ng gobyerno ay tulong sa mga nangangailangan – tulong natin para sa mga taong hindi lang handa, kung hindi ay gusto ng pagbabago (We are thankful to our partner beneficiaries for believing that they are capable of changing their lives. The programs of DSWD and of the government are only assistance – assistance that we give not only to those who are capable of, but are willing as well to change),” Sec. Soliman said.
For Atiya and Timbasil, their success cannot be measured based on their current state of living. It is when they look back at what they were before and see the changes in their lives, which they embraced in full willingness.