“Ang magandang bagay sa edukasyon ay isa itong pamana na hindi kailanman maaagaw sa iyo (The beautiful thing about education is that it is a legacy no one can take away from you).”

This is the principle adhered to by couple  Abdon Palarca, 53, a taho vendor,  and  Estrelita Palarca, 49, of Malanday, Marikina City, as they endured hard work to ensure the education of their 12 children.

Currently, five of their children have their own careers, three of them are already in college, two are in high school,  and the two younger kids are in elementary.

With three qualified children, the Palarca Family became beneficiaries of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program in 2012.

This year, the Palarca Family was chosen as the 2014 Huwarang Pantawid Pamilya in the National Capital Region (NCR).

Beaming with joy and pride, Aling Estrelita spoke with confidence in front of Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Corazon Juliano-Soliman, other officials, and employees during the flag ceremony in Central Office, Batasan Complex, on Monday.

She even made a joke saying that every time she speaks in a group, she would say that she has 12 children and the reaction will always be the same – Wow!

But the ‘wow’ becomes even louder when she mentions that almost half of them are working while the others are also in school.

She shared, “Wala kasi akong natapos dahil sa hirap ng buhay at nangako ako sa sarili ko na lahat ng aking mga anak ay pag-aaralin ko kahit alam kong mahirap. Ayoko na danasin nila ang hirap na pinagdaanan ko (I was not able to finish school because of poverty. I promised myself that I will do my best to send all of them to school. I do not want them to suffer the same hardships I went through).”

Aling Estrelita recalled that before their family became Pantawid Pamilya beneficiary, she usually borrows money from various people.

“Hindi sapat ang kita namin sa pagtitinda ng taho at iba pang kakanin para mapag-aral ang aming mga anak kaya kailangan humiram ng pera (Our income from selling taho and native cakes is not enough to send our children to school that is why we had to borrow money),” she narrated.

Aling Estrelita is thankful that Pantawid Pamilya came right on time. She said that the program greatly changed their lives.

Aside from the support of Aling Estrelita’s five children who are working, she related that her children’s monthly allowance from Pantawid Pamilya significantly helped them with their daily needs in school.

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. They have to comply to program conditions of sending their children to school, bringing them to health centers for check-ups, and attending Family Development Sessions (FDS).

Aling Estrelita expressed hope that Pantawid Pamilya will be a permanent program of the government to help more poor parents, like them, send their children to school.

With a little more patience of waiting, Abdon and Estrelita would be able to fulfill their promise of giving education to their dozen kids.

Community involvement

Aside from being able to send their children to school, another reason why the Palarca Family was chosen as model family was because of Aling Estrelita’s active involvement in community affairs.

Aling Estrelita said that her regular attendance to Pantawid Pamilya’s FDS inspired her to become active in the community.

At the FDS, parent-beneficiaries learn and discuss about responsible parenthood, home management, financial management, and interpersonal relationships, among others.

 Aling Estrelita admitted that one of her dreams is to also  inspire other parents.

To do this, she became a Parent Leader of Pretty Moms, a group of Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries in their barangay.

 She said that being a leader is a fulfilling experience.

With 28 members in the group, Aling Estrelita was surprised how she was able to manage the group.

She was also able to initiate various community activities.

 “Dati, talagang ma-pasensya na akong tao pero ngayon sa tingin ko mas humaba pa ang pagiging pasensyosa ko. Bilang isang lider, kailangan kasi ang pasensya para mas epektibo ang teamwork at samahan sa grupo kasi iba-iba ang personalidad ng mga miyembro sa grupo  (I think that I am more patient now. As a leader, I should be patient to ensure effective teamwork and harmonious relationship in the group),” Aling Estrelita expressed.

Meanwhile, in her message, Sec. Soliman said that the story of Palarca Family is a living proof that Kaya ng Pinoy ang Pagbabago (the Filipino can initiate change in their own lives).

“Kahanga-hanga ang ipinakitang sipag, tiyaga at lakas ng loob nina Estrelita at kanyang asawang itaguyod ang pag-aaral ng kanilang mga anak. Hindi biro ang mag-paaral ng labingdalawang anak. Tiyak ko na ang kanilang kuwento ng pagbangon at pagbabago ay magsisilbing inspirasyon ng nakararami (Estrelita and her husband’s hard work, determination, and courage to ensure the education of their children is truly inspiring. It is not easy to send 12 children to school at the same time. I am sure that story of striving for positive change will serve as an inspiration to other poor families to also strive),” Sec. Soliman stated.