He brought nothing but only determination in life when he walked away from home to follow his dream to become a policeman.
For the very first time that he parted from his family, Wythaniel Armilla of Maravilla St., Brgy. 3, Poblacion, E.B. Magalona in Negros Occidental, never doubted the life waiting for him when he decided to cross the sea to study in Capiz State University (CapSu)- Dayao Campus to avail of the Expanded Student Grants – In – Aid Program for Poverty Alleviation (ESGPPA), an initiative implemented by DSWD for its Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program beneficiaries.
Wythaniel is now on his first year taking Bachelor of Science in Computer Science. While it is not a Criminology course, he still plans to take the NAPOLCOM exam right after gradtuation and pursue his dream to become a cop.
Armilla’s family is one of the beneficiaries of Pantawid Pamilya. ESGPPA is offered to beneficiaries to complement the program by ensuring that they graduate in college.
The student grantee said without the scholarship, he could not enroll because his mother is only selling vegetables while his father is a delivery driver. He added that his father also engages in planting vegetables when there is no delivery in the market.
Also, his eldest brother went to Manila to find a job to sustain his two other siblings who are in high school and elementary grade.
“Our life is difficult and we almost lost hope. We hardly ate three times a day until the time that we were included to the Pantawid Pamilya which greatly changed our life,” he said.
Apart from conditional cash grant given to his family, Armilla said the P3,500 monthly allowance he received every month for his education helps him a lot to sustain his tuition, daily school allowance and boarding house.
“The scholarship assistance given to me is a privilege that value. I am very thankful to DSWD for answering my prayers. My ambition in life to become a policeman is not far from happening now that my education is ensured,” he said in vernacular.
Armilla said with all the blessings he and his family received, he is inspired to compose a poem entitled “Katuparan” to thank the DSWD specially the government under the administration of President Benigno Aquino III to inspire other Pantawid Pamilya children to grab the opportunity given to them.
“This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. That is why I am not wasting my time. Even in our young minds, we could do a lot of things in our community and country to repay the good services offered by our government,” he said.
Armilla said his testimony will simply show that our government exists and DSWD is always the frontline in poverty reduction.
ESGPPA is implemented in partnership with Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges (PASUC).
ESGPPA identified beneficiaries are those who are willing to attend school, completed high school and/or equivalent, not more than 30 years old, and have passed the entrance exam and academic requirement set by the leading State Universities and Colleges (SUCs).
A student – beneficiary is entitled to a maximum of P60,000 grant per school year or P30,000 per semester for tuition fees. Miscellaneous expenses and cash allowances are also included for educational and support services to sustain their completion of the degree program in exchange to a maintained satisfactory grade.
Presently, the ESGPPA has recorded 3,602 student grantees after the coverage was expanded all throughout the region this year. The program has started in 2012 with only 246 grantees. (DSWD-6/Montesa Griño-Caoyonan)
KATUPARAN
by: Wythaniel S. Armilla
1st Year BS Computer Science ESGP-PA Student Grantee
Capiz State University – Dayao Campus
from Brgy. 3 Poblacion, E.B. Magalona, Negros Occidental
Mula pagkabata ako’y nangarap
Sa aking paglaki maging pulis na ganap
Tanong sa sarili ito kaya’y may KATUPARAN?
Sa isang katulad kong mahirap lamang?
Ang tanong na ito’y bibigyan kasagutan
Buhay kahirapan aking tutuldukan
Gagawin ang lahat matupad ko lamang
Sisikaping susu-ungin ang lahat na hadlang
Ang kahirapa’y aking kalabanin
Upang makamit ang mga mithiin
Sa poong Maykapal tangi kong dalangin
Nawa’y patnubayan at huwag bibiguin
Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program
Ang tumutulong sa nangangailangan
Nagbibigay cash grant sa mga nag-aaral
Kabilang na dito ang pangkolihiyong eskolar
Nang ako’y napabilang sa mga eskolar
Labis-labis ang tuwa ko’t saya
Dahil and buhay ko ay magbabago na
Kasama na dito ang aking pamilya
Masakit isipin sa pamilya’y nawalay
Pilit kakayanin kung ang kapalit nito’y ginhawa sa buhay
Pangungulila di ko alintana
Dahil itinuring kong malaking biyaya
Maraming salamat sa isang programa
Kung tawagin ay Pantawid Pamilya
Maraming nabigyan ng malaking pag-asa
Ang kalalabasa’y maligayang pamilya
Sa mga namamahala ng ating Gobyerno
Aking tinutukoy mahal na Pangulo
Na wala pong iba si Pangulong Benigno C. Aquino III
Ang siyang nagpalakas ng programang ito
Sa mga benepesaryong kapwa ko kabataan
Sa pangarap at pag-asa huwag mawawalan
Dahil sa Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program
Ang lahat ng ito’y may KATUPARAN.