Kavin Art Degara Billano, is a 26-year-old, high school graduate son of Mr. and Mrs. Billano, a Pantawid household of Barangay Bato, Pantawid, Capiz. Third among seven siblings, Kavin did not proceed with his college education to help his parents financially.
Despite having a sufficient amount of money to enrol to college, he chose to buy rice seedlings and allocate the money to finance the rice farming of his father during that time. Instead, he did various jobs in construction like carpentry, masonry, welding, and painting works to earn a meager income.
Luckily, Kavin Art became one of the beneficiaries of the Skills Training on Shielded Metal Arc Welding National Certificate II (SMAW NC II) last 2016 funded through DSWD-Sustainable Livelihood Program. After training, last February 2017, he was also provided with Pre-Employment Assistance Fund (PEAF) amounting to Five Thousand Pesos (Php 5,000.00) to augment him in processing his pre-employment requirements and transportation and meal allowances for the first month of his employment in Hanjin Philippines, Inc. in Subic, Zambales.
During his first week as a welder in Hanjin he told his mother that sometimes, he becomes anxious in his workplace because the steels they use are often bigger than him. His mother, Mrs. Nelia Billano always tell him that, “Kung gusto mo ang imo ubra, bisan ano kabudlay, imo himuon nga may kalipay kag gugma. Bisan ano kabudlay, mangin mahupos ina para sa imo. (When you like your work, however difficult it is, do your work with joy and love for it. No matter how difficult it is, it will become a lot easier with you.)” That motherly advice was instilled in Kavin Art’s mind.
He was employed as a welder in Hanjin for more than eight months. There, he availed of an additional training on Flux Cord Arc Welding (FCAW) NC II. He was then able to help his parents in financing for their house’s improvement and purchase of a water pump. However, due to health concerns, when his contract ended, he opted not to renew because for him, his work as a welder is a very physically challenging job.
He then applied for work in Quezon City last November 2017. He was hired as a dishwasher in a food production company. His hard work, perseverance, and perfect attendance were noticed by his employer. Starting from the bottom of the positions, he has worked his way up to have become one of the mixers in the Pre-Production Area of the company.
He is now a permanent employee earning more than Php 12,000.00 per month. With his income and overtime pays, he was able to help his family in buying a farm machine (thresher), piglets, sound system at home, and capitalization of his mother during her vending stint in the Panay Christmas Village.
Despite having the COVID-19 Pandemic, Kavin Art is continuously employed. His company is generous enough to have provided him with Php 8,000.00 to buy a bicycle that serves as his service in going in and out of work. He was also provided with financial assistance last April and May 2020 amounting to Php 5,000.00 monthly.
His family is very grateful for Kavin’s help to them. “Tuloy-tuloy man ang iya pagbulig sa amon pamilya subong nga may pandemya, (He continuously helps us, his family, financially, during this time of pandemic,)” his proud mother says. #
