The Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), the government’s anti-poverty strategy and one of the flagship programs of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has proven its impact on the lives of struggling Filipino families through human capital investment.

For Manuela Zornosa, a 49-year-old mother of five from Majayjay, Laguna, the 4Ps has helped her family achieve a remarkable shift in their life since they were included in the program up to their exit from 4Ps last December 2023.

“Super laki na ng nagbago sa buhay namin. ‘Yung umabot kami sa punto na nakakaraos na sa araw-araw, panatag na kaming mag-asawa,” Manuela narrated. (Our lives have changed significantly. We’ve reached a point where we can get through each day comfortably, and as a couple, we feel secure.)

From the days of ‘kung hindi kakahig, hindi tutuka’’(if you don’t work, you won’t eat/hand-to-mouth), Manuela and her husband, Lowell, worked tirelessly to support their five children. Initially reliant on Lowell’s income as a tricycle driver, the family often struggled to make ends meet.

Manuela recalled: “Madalas ay kulang pa sa amin. Kahit humiram kami ng pera sa iba, kulang at kulang pa rin”. (Often, we used to lack the things we needed. Even when we borrowed money from others, it was still not enough.)

The tides, however, turned when the Zornosa family became 4Ps beneficiaries in 2013, receiving not only financial support but also an array of opportunities to uplift their lives. Through the program, their family received cash grants to improve the health, nutrition, and the education of the children in their family aged 0 to 18.

While the cash grants were essential, Manuela saw the bigger picture. She seized the chance to enhance her skills, by attending meat processing training through the  DSWD’s Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) in 2017.

This initiative, as an extended intervention of the DSWD, empowers 4Ps beneficiaries to engage in livelihood activities.

“Nagsimula ako ng simpleng negosyo mula sa meat processing training na aking dinaluhan bilang benepisyaryo ng 4Ps at ng SLP,” Manuela said. (I started a simple business after attending meat processing training as a beneficiary of 4Ps and the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP).

Equipped with a starter kit, Manuela ventured into producing and selling embotido and siomai,  which became best sellers resulting to the gradual improvement of her family’s financial standing.

Under the 4Ps, families are not only given cash grants but are also required to attend Family Development Sessions (FDS), which empower the household-beneficiaries to become more productive and responsible to meet their needs, as well as enhance their skills and knowledge.

Beyond financial gains, Manuela also embraced the lessons from the monthly FDS. Improved communication with her children, prudent savings, and disaster preparedness became integral aspects of their family life.

In her time as a beneficiary, Manuela also assumed the role of a parent leader, guiding 28 other beneficiaries in their barangay.

“Itinuro ko rin sa mga kapwa ko beneficiaries ‘yung natutunan ko sa meat processing training para sila ay makapagsimula rin ng negosyo at kumita para sa kanilang pamilya,” Manuela said while emphasizing the importance of sharing knowledge and opportunities.

(I also taught my fellow beneficiaries what I learned from the meat processing training so that they could start their own businesses and earn for their families.)

As her eldest child, Karl Miguel, recently earned a degree in Civil Engineering, and the other four children are pursuing their education, Manuela and her husband made the selfless decision to exit as 4Ps beneficiary.

“Nakikita ko na mas marami pa ang mas higit na nangangailangan ng tulong kaysa sa amin,” Manuela said. (I see that there are many others who are in greater need of assistance than we are.)

In December 2023, the Zornosa family graduated as a program beneficiary through the Pugay Tagumpay Graduation Ceremony in their town, together with 43 other families.

Engaging in various income-generating activities like farming and selling baked goods alongside their roles as a barangay official and tricycle driver, the Zornosa family is a living proof of the power of hard work and opportunity, as well as, the importance of the human capital investment of 4Ps.

“Tuluy-tuloy lang ang aming pagdiskarte, more sipag kaming buong pamilya para masustentuhan ang iba naming mga pangarap,” Manuela points out. (We continue with our strategies, and our whole family remains diligent to sustain our other aspirations.)

For her and the rest of the Zornosa family, graduating from the 4Ps symbolizes not just financial stability but also a mindset of resilience and determination.

Their story echoes the belief that with the right opportunities, poor families can indeed improve their status and reach their dreams.

The 4Ps provides conditional cash transfer to qualified households to improve the health, nutrition, and the education of their children aged 0-18. To date, the 4Ps has 4.4 million house-hold beneficiaries across the country. #