SAN CARLOS, Negros Occidental – The life of a 4Ps beneficiary Maricel A. Altariba of Sitio Pano-olan, Barangay Guadalupe of this town has transformed through the help of the Enhanced Social Services Intervention (ESSI) Cash for Work Program.

Maricel has been striving to uplift her household from a survival level of well-being to a more stable and secure future. In 2023, Maricel’s household was categorized as Level 1 in the Social Welfare and Development Indicators (SWDI), denoting a survival status. Her husband, Bimbo, works as a farm laborer, earning a modest income per month, which struggles to meet the family’s basic needs.

To support her husband and improve their livelihood, Maricel opened a small sari-sari store and began selling fish within her neighborhood. However, despite these efforts, the income remained insufficient to fully support their basic needs and fund the education of their children—Binjeab (16), Marvin (14), and Cherry-Ann (12).

Recognizing her challenging situation, Maricel was selected as one of the seven grantees in Barangay Guadalupe to benefit from the ESSI Cash for Work Program- Promotion of Alternative Livelihoods through Communal Vegetable Garden. This temporary employment spanned 11 days from May to June 2024 and provided her with a valuable opportunity to stabilize her family’s finances. The program tasked participants, including Maricel, with creating a communal vegetable garden on a vacant lot within the barangay. Maintained by the local government unit (LGU) of Guadalupe, this garden serves as a model project and an inspiration for households to establish their backyard gardens.

For her participation, Maricel received a cash grant of ₱5,280. This amount enabled her to purchase essential household items such as rice and school supplies for her children. The impact of this support on her family was substantial. The program provided a much-needed financial boost, easing the immediate financial burden and allowing Maricel to address basic household needs. The program directly contributed to the continuity of her children’s education by covering critical school expenses.

Participating in the program also significantly enhanced Maricel’s sense of empowerment and self-worth. The temporary employment not only enabled her to actively contribute to her family’s well-being but also to take part in a community-driven project. This experience fostered a sense of unity and shared responsibility among the grantees, who collaborated to create a beneficial community asset. The communal garden became a symbol of collective effort and an avenue for interaction and mutual support among residents.

Moreover, the communal vegetable garden established through the program holds lasting value for Barangay Guadalupe. As a model initiative, it inspires other households to adopt sustainable practices like backyard gardening to supplement their food supply. It also reinforces the barangay’s resilience by demonstrating how community-driven projects can mitigate the impact of environmental challenges such as El Niño and other climate-related issues.

The ESSI cash-for-work program has proven to be a vital lifeline for Maricel Altariba and her family, assisting them in transitioning from mere survival to a subsistence level of well-being.

Maricel’s journey is a powerful testament to the transformative potential of well-implemented social welfare programs. Through opportunities like these, families can begin to break free from the cycle of poverty and build a brighter, more sustainable future for themselves and their communities. (Written by 4Ps staff Julieta Abante and Melquisedec Galve of Negros POO1)