It began with a thread of hope and a bundle of hard work for the simple Cantaco family from Taytay, Rizal.

Today, the family manages several garment-making business sites in Taytay and Montalban, Rizal, hiring employees to help in their business of supplying clothing items to establishments in China.

But the success did not come easy for the family.

Living in a small house in Barangay San Juan, the Cantaco family was a beneficiary of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).  In fact, three Cantaco children were monitored by the 4Ps before the family graduated from the program.

Janeth Cantaco, the mother, narrated to the Kwento ng Pag-Asa at Pagbabago (#KPAP), an award-winning online documentary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), that life was difficult for their family of seven until they became part of the 4Ps.

Janeth and her husband, Albert, used to work in a factory but found their income still insufficient for the needs of their family.

Aside from this, a series of health problems plagued the family.

A member got leptospirosis after the flooding caused by Typhoon Ondoy in 2009.  After this incident, one of the Cantaco children was diagnosed with cancer and underwent chemotherapy.  Despite pursuing treatment, Janeth said they lost their son as the cancer was diagnosed at stage four.

Making their plight even worse was when Janeth went under the knife for a kidney ailment a year after her son’s death.

The surgery caused them to incur debts, while trying to provide for their kids in order to survive.  Though their situation was dire, the Cantaco couple never lost hope and did not give up on their dream for a better life.

At the back of their minds, Janeth said being in the 4Ps helped them get through the most difficult stages in their lives.

“Kung wala pong 4Ps siguro baon na po kami ngayun, ‘di na po kami makakabangon,” Janeth emotionally told #KPAP.

It was also through 4Ps that Janeth and Albert were able to start their small business.

Janeth said: “Ang ginagawa po kasi namin yung mga nakukuha po namin inaano (inilalagay) po namin. Nung nakaraan nag tindahan po kami, e,di syempre tutubo rin po siya.”

She, however, stressed that they made sure that all the needs of the children were responded to first through the 4Ps subsidy.

Janeth also credited the Family Development Sessions (FDS), one of the conditionalities under the 4Ps, in their family’s unwavering desire to improve their economic situation.

Exploring all opportunities available, Janeth ventured in the sewing business.

“Dati kumukuha lang po ako ng tahi sa mga subcon po. Nagsa-subcon lang din po kami hanggang sa nagkaroon po kami ng maliit na puhunan, tumagal rin naman po siya ng five years hanggang sa mga nakapundar napo kami nitong bahay,” Janeth recalled.

Hard work, determination and the collective goal of the Cantaco family resulted in a thriving business.

As the Cantaco family was assessed to graduate from 4Ps, they were part of the many program beneficiaries who were given an orientation about the DSWD’s Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP).

The SLP is a capacity-building initiative of the DSWD that aims to support identified poor, vulnerable, and marginalized households and communities.

In order to ensure that the gains of the 4Ps can be sustained, graduating families were introduced to the livelihood program of the Department.

In an interview with #KPAP on the Cantaco family, DSWD-CALABARZON Provincial Partnership Officer Randolf Victor said: “Sa dami po ng grumaduate po sa Pantawid, at dumalo po doon sa paanyaya sa orientation ng SLP, almost half lang po yung bumalik, isa nga doon si Ate Janeth Cantaco na bumalik po at malaki po yung naging impact sa kanya. Mas nadagdagan yung puhunan niya sa pamamagitan ng pagbibigay ng seed capital sa kanya, mas lumaki po opportunity sa kanya na makapasok sa mas malaking market.”

Janeth did not let the opportunity to grow their family’s business pass.

“May seminar nga daw po sa SLP sa pagnenegosyo, sabi ko ay malaking tulong to yong seminar na to para matuto ako sa negosyo para kung pano pagpapalago,” she recounted.

Last year, Janeth received livelihood assistance of Php15,000 from the SLP and in just a year, her family’s garment business grew leaps and bounds.

When they saw that the business was thriving, Janeth and Albert decided to take a step further in growing the garment’s business and took out a loan with their house as collateral.

This keen sense of business paid off as Janeth was able to get more clients who trusted her and is now supplying garments to big businesses in China.

They were also able to pay off their loans, make investments, and engage in sub-contracting orders, creating more jobs to help others in need, all within one year.

“Itong year na po talaga na to iyong nakabawi na po talaga kami kaya talagang pasalamat ko po talaga don sa SLP na pinag-umpisahan po namin,” Janeth said.

Albert attributed the thriving business to God and to the tireless work of his wife, and cited the work of their children in helping manage their garment business.

He also expressed his gratitude to their tailors and dressmakers and to the clients who trusted them.

The family also believes that their departed son served as their guardian angel, becoming their inspiration to achieve a better life.

Janeth also stressed that their success would not have happened without the DSWD’s assistance.

“Malaking pasalamat ko po talaga lalung-lalo na sa DSWD hindi lang naman po sa pera (4Ps subsidy). Doon rin po sa mga FDS namin malaking tulong din po yon, nagamit ko rin po yon sa pang araw-araw namin na pamumuhay,” she added.

Albert and Janeth also appealed to all 4Ps beneficiaries to value government’s assistance and strive for better lives by continuously working.

Janeth added: “Hindi naman po porket nasa baba tayo na hindi na po tayo pwedeng umangat sa buhay, kailangan lang po natin ng sipag at tiyaga tapos kailangan lang po nating matuto humawak ng pera na kahit po napakaliit na puhunan lang siya pag nilagay niyo po sa negosyo paikot-ikot po siya, hindi po natin mamamalayan napakalaki napo nito.”

Launched in 2008 and institutionalized by Republic Act No. 11310 in 2019, the 4Ps is the national poverty reduction strategy and human capital investment program that provides conditional cash transfer to poor households for a maximum period of seven years to improve their children’s health, nutrition and education.

The SLP provides viable interventions to improve the participants’ socio-economic conditions by helping them access and acquire necessary assets to establish and sustain their thriving livelihoods.

The #KPAP  is a joint production of the Traditional Media Service (TMS) and the Digital Media Service (DMS), which are under the Strategic Communications group. It is hosted by TMS Director Aldrine Fermin and is posted every Tuesday on the DSWD’s official Facebook page. (GDVF)