Ozamis City, Misamis Occidental – “Nang dahil sa programang ito, nagkaroon kami ng pag-asa na makapagtrabaho pa sa edad namin (This program has given us hope that despite our age, we can still find work),” shares Shanina Sitchon, a 33-year old homemaker from Lanao del Norte.

Shanina is one of 200 woman-beneficiaries of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program  from Central Mindanao who underwent housekeeping services training through a partnership between the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and Our Lady of Triumph Institute of Technology (OLT) in this city.

The program, which began in November 2013, is a two-month training on housekeeping services, including the utilization of common household appliances. After the training, participants, most of whom were housewives in rural communities, were assisted for guaranteed employment in Saudi Arabia with a two-year contract through Quintrix International Manpower, Inc., an agency that provides outsourced manpower power services.

The participants are set to depart for Riyadh and Jeddah in batches between May to July  this year. They are expected to receive a monthly salary of US$400 each for the two-year contract.

During the training, accommodation for the participants was provided by OLT, while fees for training, deployment, and processing government documents were shouldered by the DSWD.

“Nakapag-focus talaga kami sa pag-aaral kasi doon din kami nakatira (We were able to focus on our studies because the institution also provided for our sleeping quarters within the school),” explains Rosario Magsalay, a 43-year old single mother from Plaridel town.

“Noong una, hindi ako marunong gumamit ng mga appliance tulad ng floor polisher. Naiiyak at nahihiya ako sa mga kasama ko ( I initially did not know how to operate an appliance like the floor polisher. I was ashamed and I would cry about it),”  Rosario narrates how overwhelmed she was at the beginning of the program.

Values education

According to Lucille Maglasang of OLT, the institution wanted to provide opportunities for mothers without stable sources of income. They saw overseas employment for the mothers as a viable answer but they also recognized internal risks within their families, especially for the children. With that in mind, OLT included values education and spiritual guidance complementary to the training.

The participants eagerly shared that they learned about patience and open-mindedness, and a change in outlook because of the program. They have also gained more confidence in themselves and their capabilities.

Aside from learning basic Arabic and English, the participants took up lessons on cultural awareness and sensitivity.

Building support systems

The participants’ families were also involved in the program. A majority of the participants are mothers with child rearing and housework as their primary responsibilities. With their physical absence for the next two years, their husbands and parents are encouraged to take on these responsibilities.

Maglasang shares that this will give the fathers the opportunity to play a bigger role at home.

Having built relationships and shared experiences with co-participants, they have found in each other a support system away from home.

“Dahil kami din ang magkakasama, nakapagbonding na kami at nagtutulungan na rin kami (Since we are together at the training, we already started bonding and helping each other),” Rosario adds.

Empowering women

Shanina says that she had always depended financially on her husband. She never imagined herself capable of gaining new experiences and achievements. She is also still in disbelief that assistance like this would ever come to a hard-to-reach barrio like theirs. The program has empowered her to recognize herself as a provider and an important member of the community.

Elyn Bihag, a 27-year old mother of two from the town of Bonifacio admits that raising her children without a stable job and a companion is difficult. However, the program has given her newfound confidence.

“Marami pa palang matututunan kahit hindi ako nakatungtong ng college ( I have learned a lot even if I did not reach college),” she says.

She trusts that she can now provide a brighter future for her children even as a single mother.

Sustainable livelihood

DSWD Assistant Secretary Teodulo Romo shares that the most effective solution to poverty is education, which the department seeks to address through the Pantawid Pamilya, in cooperation with the Department of Education.

Since 2011, the DSWD has already assisted 396,123 poor families nationwide through micro-enterprise development and local employment facilitation under SLP.  Participants have undergone social preparation and skills training, and received financial support and further assistance with the help of the department’s public and private sector partners.

With SLP,  DSWD strives to help many others like Shanina, Rosario, and Elyn with livelihood opportunities so that they can address their families’ basic needs and access social services, thereby improving their quality of life.  ###