FROM the moment they were born, they were meant to see more than what they are seeing, to do more than what can be done and as they live through life they were meant to discover things in an endless round called “the circle of life.”
Amina Isnani, 11 years old of Badjao descendants has noticed considerable change in their family that started a year ago.
Her parents and grandparents settled in the Badjao community of barangay Mambaling, Cebu City two decades ago with the hope of starting a new life, new work.
Amina can never relate with the history book that said Badjaos are proud people rich in culture because she was born poor and considered different by society.
Amina came to accept some facts that most of them are not celebrating birthdays and majority of the parents in her neighborhood as well as their children do not go to school but would rather begging.
However, all these started to change two years ago when the Badjao community joined the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), which is being implemented by the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
“Gi-ingnan mi nga na-apil kuno mi sa programa sa gobyerno pero kinahanglan mi musulod ug klase kada adlaw aron mi mahatagan ug hinabang (We were told that we qualify for the government’s program but we go to school every day so we can receive assistance),” said Amina.
The 4Ps assists the country’s poorest of the poor through a conditional cash grant for education, health and nutrition.
Each household beneficiary will receive P500 for health and nutrition every month and another P300 per child aged 14 years old and below for a maximum of three children.
Amina’s family receives a maximum of P1,400 a month for food and education for her and her siblings. The cash grant also served as an inspiration for her mother to go back to school.
Amina takes pride of her 43-year-old mother despite being illiterate, saying, “Wala may naka eskwela sa mga kaila ni Mama diri sa amoa, mao nga ganahan mi magso-on makat-on siya aron makalakaw na siya sa siyudad nga siya na lang ug dili mahadlok ug mauwaw muduol og mga tawo (My mother and her acquaintances in our community never went to school that is why my siblings and I want her to learn so she would not anymore be afraid to go to the city on her own and she will not anymore be ashamed to face and talk to the people).”
With this, Amina assists her mother in her homework, while the rest of her siblings who dropped out of school are now looking forward to going back to school.