In this coastal town of Divilacan in the province of Isabela, producing professionals and white-collar workers among the locals was once a far-fetched dream. However, the stories of 13 former monitored children of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) who have graduated from college are slowly turning the tide for this second class municipality in the northern part of the country.

Donald Baybayan, 26, one of the 13 graduates, is now the pride of his hometown for realizing this dream by becoming a licensed professional teacher. He is now a dedicated public servant serving his townmates.

Donald and the other 12 graduates were honored together with some 75 4Ps beneficiaries on April 3, which is the town’s first graduation ceremony this year for 4Ps households who have already attained self-sufficiency.

In 2008, Donald’s household was registered to the 4Ps.

“Sampung-taong gulang ako nung napabilang kami sa programa ng 4Ps. Napabilang kami dahil marami kaming magkakapatid kung kaya’t hirap ang mga magulang namin na ibigay ang mga pangangailangan namin,” Donald shared as he recalled how the program reached out to his family.

(I was 10 years old when our family was registered as beneficiary of 4Ps. We were qualified to the program as our parents dealt with difficulties raising a big family.)

Through 4Ps, poor households receive conditional cash grants from the government to improve their children’s health, nutrition, and education.

As a beneficiary, aside from the health grants, Donald’s family received monthly educational cash grants of Php300 which he and his siblings used to purchase learning supplies and supplement their daily school allowance.

“Malaking bagay para sa amin ang mapabilang sa Pantawid Program sapagkat nagkaroon kami ng pagkakataon na magkaroon ng bagong gamit sa paraalan at hindi na pinagtagpi-tagping pinaglumaan na notebook na dagta ng halaman ang pandikit, tagpi-tagping bag, hinating lapis at kupas na mga damit. Kabilang na rin dito ang pagkakaroon ng konting baon sa paaralan,” Donald narrated.

(Becoming one of the beneficiaries of the program is a big help for us because through it we were able to buy school supplies and no longer have to recycle notebooks and share over pencils and worn-out clothes. We also used a small amount for our school allowance.)

With a promising academic background he diligently earned as a youngster, Donald pursued his college education. He was thankful that the government did not falter in reaching out to him through its various programs and services.

Donald maintained his scholarship under the local government of Divilican and in his senior year, he qualified as an intern to the Government Internship Program (GIP) initiated by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).

During his internship, Donald assisted field officers who presided over the implementation of the 4Ps program in their locality. This is where he saw their crucial role in uplifting the lives of the marginalized sectors of their community — including his family — and eventually found a deep-sense of motivation to pursue the same career path.

In a delightful sequence of events, Donald is now in a place to help others and give back to the community, working as a municipal link to the program that helped him and his family rise from their impoverished condition.

Donald considers this as a golden opportunity, he owes not only to his tenacity, but also to government-led efforts that empowered people like him to stand on their own feet.

“Proud akong sabihin na noong kami ay nakapasok sa programa, ang bahay namin ay tagpi-tagpi at hanggang ngayon tagpi tagpi pa rin. Tagpi-tagping mga medalya, diploma at larawan naming magkakapatid na naka-toga,” Donald said as he emphasized the impact of the poverty-alleviation program to their family.

(I am proud to say that when we first entered the program, our house was built on combined patches of lightweight materials. Now, it is still filled with patches but patches of medals, diploma and graduation portraits of me and my siblings.)

Donald’s narrative is nothing short of inspiring. He serves as a reminder that even the poor from humble communities can rise above challenges, improve their lives and find the opportunity to give back.

The 4Ps of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is a national poverty reduction strategy institutionalized under Republic Act No. 11310 or “An Act Institutionalizing Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) signed on April 17, 2019.

The program puts a premium on giving indigent families the means to break-away from the intergenerational cycle of poverty through human capital investments.

Donald is one of the 32,000 former 4Ps monitored children who have graduated from college since 2016.

To date, the program has 4.4 million household-beneficiaries nationwide. #