THREE Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program beneficiaries thanked the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) employees for changing their lives.
In a letter addressed to Director Ma. Evelyn B. Macapobre, regional director of DSWD Field Office VI, Friendsheil Sarona of Brgy. Buntatala, Leganes, Iloilo, said, “Una po sa lahat thank you po sa pagbibigay ng tulong sa amin. Kung hindi po dahil sa inyo hindi na po sana kami nakapag-aral at dahil sa inyo nakabayad na po kami sa lahat ng project po namin sa eskwelahan at nakabili na rin po kami ng bagong mga damit at vitamins. (First, thank you for helping us. We are now in-school, able to pay for school projects and have bought clothing and vitamins).”
Friendshel said that while she has been consistently enrolled in school, she had to be absent many times prior Pantawid Pamilya implementation. She said her mother had to find money to put food on the table so she had to watch after her younger siblings.
Sarona was one of the child participants in the recently concluded Kaya Ko! Writeshop with Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries which was graced by Macapobre.
May Grace Dela Cruz of Concepcion, City Proper, on the other hand, wrote to Macapobre saying, “Nagpapasalamat (ako) sa inyo dahil isa po ako sa beneficiary ng Pantawid Pamilya. Malaking tulong na financial ang binibigay nyo po sa akin na panugon sa aking pag-aaral (I am grateful because I am one of the beneficiaries of Pantawid Pamilya. This is a big financial blessing to me as it answers my needs along education).”
Dela Cruz added, “Bilang ganti po sa inyo, sisikapin ko po na mag-aaral ako nang mabuti at makapagtapos ng pag-aaral at sana po madami pa po ang inyong matulungan dahil marami pa po ang mahihirao sa ating bansa. (I will strive to study harder and finish mu schooling and I wish that you will be able to help more of our countrymen).”

WRITING TIPS
Prior to the writing activities, Macapobre gave tips on writing for the children. She shared that writing ideas comes naturally almost anytime of the day thus a pen and paper should be available all the time.
“I used to forget things. At times, when an idea comes to mind and you don’t put it in writing, you often can forget it. So what I did was put a paper and pen in the different corners of my house so wherever I am and the ideas come into mind, I scribble them down on paper,” said Macapobre.
She also said that reading contributes in good writing as it builds a stock of vocabulary in mind.
For this, Karen Grace Palma of Buntatala, Leganes, wrote to Macapobre, “Una sa lahat salamat dahil kahit busy ka ginagawa mo pa rin ang iyong tungkulin. Kanina nakita ko parang marami ka pang gagawin. Pero salamat at dahil mo nakalimutan na pumunta rito. Salamat sa iyo dahil sa message mo kanina natutunan ko kung paano ko hindi malilimutan ang mga gagawin ko. Gagawin ko rin ang ginagawa mo na maglagay ng ballpen at papel sa kahit anong sulok ng bahay. (First of all, thank you for doing your duty even if you are very busy. It seemed to me that you have many things to do yet you never forgot to visit us. Thank you for your message. Because of you, I learned how I could not forget things. I will also put ballpen and paper in all corners of our house).”
In Region 6, Pantawid Pamilya, the government of the Philippines’ version of the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT), reaches more than 320,000 families, of which parents are receiving monthly cash grants for the education and health of their children.
Under the program, a family could receive a maximum of P1,400 grant per month to support the children’s health and education. Releasing is made every two months and is being done directly thru ATM cards of beneficiaries or off-site payment in far-flung municipalities.
During the writeshop, majority of the children cited that because of the program, they are able to go to school everyday, have school supplies, eat nutritious foods and get a daily dose of vitamins./dswd6/May Rago-Castillo