As schools across the country prepare to welcome millions of learners for school year 2026-2027, the opening of classes once again serves as more than just the start of another academic year.
For many children from poor families, it is also the beginning of new opportunities, renewed hope, and dreams waiting to be achieved.
This is why the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) continues to strengthen its support for education by encouraging families and communities to become active partners in ensuring that children remain in school and complete their studies.
For School Year 2024–2025 alone, the 4Ps recorded 381,539 elementary graduates, 383,616 high school graduates, and 495,574 senior high school graduates.
Since the implementation of the program, more than 12.6 million elementary graduates and 5.4 million high school graduates have come from 4Ps families.
These figures reflect the continuing impact of the program’s conditional cash grants, which help poor families sustain the educational needs of their children—from school supplies and uniforms to transportation and daily allowances.
More importantly, behind every number is a story of sacrifice, perseverance, and hope.
As communities participate in Brigada Eskwela to prepare classrooms and learning spaces for children, stories of former 4Ps beneficiaries also remind why every effort to keep children in school matters.
Because for many Filipino children, the classroom is where dreams begin.
From a Not Attending School Child to a 4Ps Staff Member
One of the living proofs of this is 4Ps Municipal Link Jermiane Espinosa.
Today, he serves as a staff member of the 4Ps in Palawan. But years ago, he was also a child-beneficiary of the program—and at one point in his life, a Not Attending School (NAS) child.
At just 14 years old, Jermiane lost his father, the pillar of their family. Poverty forced him to stop studying for a year so he could help his mother, who worked as a laundrywoman, support their family.
At an age when children should have been focused on school and dreams, Jermiane worked long hours as a dishwasher, room boy, cashier, and utility worker for only Php150 a day. He endured exhaustion, sleepless nights, and hurtful words from people around him.
Yet despite the hardships, he never let go of his education.
“Sa totoo lang, ang pag-aaral na lang ang dahilan kaya nakakaya ko noon,” he shared. “Kapag nasa school ako… doon ko nararamdaman na bata pa rin ako. Doon ko nararamdaman na may pangarap pa ako.”
(To be honest, studying was the only reason I was able to endure everything back then. Whenever I was in school, I still felt like a child. I still felt like I had dreams.)
For almost six years, he balanced work and studies until he eventually graduated from college and passed the board examination for social worker in 2019. That same year, he became part of the 4Ps workforce,the same program that once supported him as a struggling child-beneficiary.
From being a child who nearly lost his chance to study, Jermiane is now helping other children stay in school and pursue their own dreams.
For him, 4Ps is more than financial assistance. It is a bridge and a chance for children like him to return to school, rise above difficulties, and begin again.
From 4Ps Beneficiary to LET Topnotcher
If Jermiane’s story reflects resilience and second chances, the story of Jhade Vine Icot shows how far determination and support can take a child.
On May 13, 2026, Jhade made headlines after topping the Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET) Elementary Level with an impressive rating of 95%.
But behind this remarkable achievement was a young woman who grew up in poverty.
Jhade came from a family of seven in Liloan, Cebu. Her father worked as a construction worker, while her mother later decided to work abroad as a domestic helper in Saudi Arabia to provide for the family.
Life became even more difficult when her father left them, leaving her mother to raise five children alone from overseas.
Despite the emotional pain and financial struggles, Jhade remained focused on her studies. During the pandemic, she even ventured into online selling with her boyfriend, using bicycles to deliver orders while balancing school responsibilities.
In 2022, their family officially became part of the 4Ps program. The cash grants became a huge help in supporting the educational needs of her younger siblings, including school supplies, uniforms, bags, and daily allowances.
As the family grantee, Jhade made sure every peso was spent wisely for her siblings’ education and their family’s needs.
Despite countless challenges—including a documentation issue that almost prevented her from taking the LET—Jhade continued to persevere. She patiently fixed her requirements, continued reviewing, and held firmly to her dream of becoming a teacher.
Her hard work eventually paid off.
From simply hoping to pass the board exam, Jhade emerged as the Top 1 passer nationwide.
Today, she works as a teacher in her hometown and hopes to inspire young people, especially fellow 4Ps beneficiaries, to continue pursuing their dreams despite poverty.
More than medals and recognition, Jhade’s story represents hope for every struggling student who dares to believe that education can change their future.
Sama-samang brigada for brighter future
As Brigada Eskwela signals the opening of another school year, these stories prove that every classroom prepared, every child encouraged to return to school, and every family supported through education can help shape a better future.
For some children, the beginning of classes may simply mean new notebooks, new uniforms, and new lessons.
But for many children from poor families, it could also mean the beginning of opportunities that may one day change their lives forever.
Because every school year is a chance to dream again.
And for countless 4Ps children, education remains the path toward turning those dreams into reality. – Written by Niño Mel Hayno Trinidad, based on the original stories submitted by Kerwin Macopia of DSWD Field Office 7 and Marieneth Malubag of DSWD Field Office MIMAROPA