Dolores Lawas, 36, of Don Victoriano, a hinterland municipality in Misamis Occidental in Northern Mindanao, used to spend her time drinking alcohol with her friends while enjoying ‘tong-its’, a locally known card game.

Jobless, Dolores said that her life seemed a routine. She just stayed home and took care of her three children. She completely depended on her husband who is a casual government employee.

She had no interest to look for a job to augment their family’s income.

“Basta kumakain kami ng mga anak ko ng tatlong beses sa isang araw, ayos na sa akin (As long as we eat three times a day, that is OK with me),”  she shared.

This complacent attitude of Dolores went on for some time until the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program was implemented in their town. Her family became a beneficiary which paved the way for the change in Dolores’ attitude, and eventually in their economic status.

Pantawid Pamilya provides monthly cash grants of P500 for health and P300 per child in elementary or P500 per child in high school with a maximum of three qualified children per household for their educational and nutritional needs. In exchange, they have to comply with program conditions of sending their children to school, bringing them to health centers for checkups, and attending Family Development Sessions (FDS).

The FDS is a gathering of parent-beneficiaries where they discuss topics on effective parenting, husband and wife relationships, child development, laws affecting the Filipino family, gender and development, and home management.

Dolores recounted that her regular attendance to the monthly FDS became instrumental to the positive changes in her as a person.

With lessons learned about responsible parenting, children’s nutrition, and other worthwhile topics, Dolores soon found the motivation to slowly turn away from her vices and focus on improving the well-being of her family.

Eventually, she also became a beneficiary of the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) of the DSWD, which further strengthened her desire to better their plight.

Through the livelihood skills and P10,000 capital assistance provided by SLP, Dolores was able to put up a small eatery in their community.

Barely a year in operation, Dolores was able to expand her eatery into a refreshment shop. She is now earning P3,500 a week from the P2,000 when it first opened.

“Dati rati pinapalipas ko ang oras ko sa bisyo. Pero dahil sa oportunidad na binigay ng Pantawid Pamilya at SLP,  nalaman ko na hindi dapat sayangin ang oras sa walang kabuluhan at dapat patuloy na mangarap para sa ikabubuti ng pamilya ( Before, I used to pass the time by engaging in vices. But through Pantawid Pamilya and SLP, I realized that I should never waste my time on useless activities. I should not also stop dreaming for my family),” Dolores said.

To date, there are 740 families in Don Victoriano who are also enjoying the benefits of Pantawid Pamlya and SLP. ###