Pantawid beneficiaries inspire ADB

Officials of Asian Development Bank were in Cebu City recently to interact with the women beneficiaries of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino program (4Ps).

During their visit last May 10, ADB senior evaluation specialist Joanne Asquitha, multimedia specialist Nadejda Kondratiev and consultant for Independent Evaluation department Minerva Dacanay learned about the program’s impact to the women.

The ADB asked the women where they would be now if they were not enrolled with Pantawid.

Teresita Gonesto of barangay Duljo Fatima said, “Nagsige gihapon ko ug panglaba, paninghag sa akong mga anak ug walay pakabana sa akong silangan (I’m still washing clothes all day, screaming at my children and won’t care about my neighbors).”

Marife Bardilas, Ester Samson and Cenona Sasam of barangays Mambaling, Tejero and Duljo Fatima were one in saying, “Nag-atiman sa mga bata sa balay ug maghuwat sa bana nga moabot ug manghinaut nga muhatag siya ug kwarta para na-a miy panud-an sa sunod adlaw (I take care of the children and wait for my husband to come home, hoping he’ll turn over some money for the next day’s meals).

However, their lives changed during the last four years they were actively into the Pantawid Pamilya program.

“Di na ko magsige ug syagit sa akong mga anak kay dili maayo. Kung naa koy makit-an nga silingan nga mag-ingon ana ako gyung badlungon (I refrain from screaming at my children as it is not good. If I see my neighbors doing the act, I would call their attention),” Gonesto said.

Bardilas said that if not for the program, “Di gyud siguro ko makat-on ug manicure ug nail art para makatabang sa akong pamilya (I wouldn’t have learned manicure and nail art to help my family),” Gonesto said.

Samson said, “Na-a ra siguro ko sa balay (would probably be home). Sasam also responded, “Di ko kabangon sa pagkasagmuyo pagkamatay sa akong bana, ako nang mapasagdan akong mga anak. Mapuno ko sa utang ug mag sige nalang ko ug kahadlok nga mawad-an ug balay (I wouldn’t be able to recover after the death of my husband, leaving my children on their own. I am burdened with debt and afraid of losing our home).”
Gonesto, Bardilas, Samson and Sasam hoped that their story would inspire to other women.

Their very lives are behind ADB’s plan to implement the same program for the poor in other Asian countries.

Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program is a conditional cash transfer implemented by the Department of Social Welfare and Development. It provides cash grants of P300 every month per child for a maximum of three children to poor household that achieves 85 percent attendance in school for their children, and P500 per month for parents who undergo pre- and post-natal care, immunization, preventive monthly health checkup and attendance to family development sessions at least once a month.