POVERTY should not be an obstacle but an inspiration to succeed.
This was the message given by Maligaya High School Valedictorian David Louie Manansala to fellow graduates who were beneficiaries of the government’s Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).
In a speech delivered before more than 11,000 high-school graduates at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Thursday, Manansala shared how he treated poverty in a more positive lens.
“Akala ng iba, napakalaki na ng pasakit na ating kinakaharap dahil sa lugar na aking kinasasadlakan. Ngunit lingid sa kanilang kaalaman, ang aking kalagayan ang lubos na nagpapatatag ng ating puso at nagpapatibay ng ating pagkatao (Many people thought that we are subjected under dire conditions because of the place we are in. Yet, contrary to what others are thinking, being poor strengthens our will),” Manansala said.
“Ang kahirapan ay hindi dapat maging hadlang, bagkus gawin natin itong inspirasyon sa pag-abot ng ating mga pangarap (Poverty should not be a hindrance but as an inspiration to reach our dreams),” he added.
The high-school valedictorian, who has five siblings and supported by his jeepney driver father and unemployed mother, said that every day was a constant struggle for him and his family. He even sold gelatin and maja blanca in school just to support his studies.
He told his fellow high-school graduates that they should strive to break from the cycle of poverty.
“Hindi kasalanan ang pagiging mahirap, magiging kasalanan lamang ito kung mamamatay kang mahirap (To live in poverty is not a sin but to die poor is a sin),” he said.
Manansala said that through the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), he and his other three siblings were able to pursue their studies.
“Ang makapag-aral sa tulong ng 4Ps ay isang magandang pagkakataon at hindi ko ito sasayangin (To study with the help of 4Ps is a good opportunity that I will not take for granted),” he promised.
Meanwhile, Alyanah Terite, the batch valedictorian of Pasay City Science High School and a 4Ps beneficiary, thanked the government for supporting her studies.
“Malaking tulong ang sustento ng 4Ps dahil doon, mas napadali ang pag-aaral ko at meron pong nagsu-support sa mga gastusin sa bahay (The grants given through 4Ps was a big help for me as it made my schooling bearable and it supported our household expenses),” Terite said.
She said that she wants to give back to the government and the Filipino people by studying hard and entering the government service someday.
“Huwag pong sumuko sa buhay kasi may mga tumutulong po sa akin. Gusto ko pong ibalik yung utang na loob na yun sa kanila sa pamamagitan ng pag-aaral nang mabuti para matupad ang pangarap ko sa buhay. Para sa future, makatulong ako sa pamahalaan at sa kapwa ko Pilipino,” she said.
Both Manansala and Terite are headed to a brighter future as they will enter the University of the Philippines come August. They will both take up Civil Engineering but Manansala will study in UP Los Baños while Terite is headed to UP Diliman.
According to the latest data from DSWD, 4,425,845 households in 41,517 barangays (villages) nationwide have benefited from 4Ps. AC