ILOILO CITY — Every child is longing for a mother’s love especially when she left you at the very young age. Jonalyn Fuertes, 19 of Brgy. Sooc, Arevalo, Iloilo City has been struggling to fight her loneliness for almost 10 years after her mother died, due to cancer, when she was still nine years old.
Jonalyn is the youngest among the six siblings of which four are girls while two are boys. They were left under their father’s care.
Despite of meager income as a carpenter, Jonalyn‘s father Nicanor was able to send them to school. Two of her siblings were able to graduate from college while the two others are undergraduate. The four siblings have their respective family and now living separately from them.
Jonalyn and her other sister were left together helping their father. Her sister underwent TESDA training on Food and Beverages so she could also extend help on their daily expenses while Jonalyn was in-charged of cleaning the house, washing clothes, prepare their meals, and fetching water, among others before leaving for school.
As the youngest daughter living in the house, Jonalyn woke up early morning to do all these chores so that she could arrives to school on time. Sometimes, she even skipped breakfast just to hurry up not to be late on her exams on her first subject early morning.
Oftentimes, she don’t even have any baon because her father’s salary is given every weekend that’s why she has to walk almost two kilometers everyday before reaching school. Her enthusiast and motivation in finishing her senior high was then increase when her family was included in the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program wherein Jonalyn has been placed under monitoring.
Her father is very grateful with the program because their health and Jonalyn’s education are both secured. These are the reasons why Nicanor never skipped attending the Family Development Session (FDS) every month to make sure that they could get 100 percent compliance in health.
For almost six years that they are into the program, Jonalyn said many things changed their lives. Now, she never experiences what she experienced before because she could now ride a tricycle or Public Utility Jeepney (PUJ) in going to school, she could buy snacks, uniform and shoes; she could pay her school fees and projects on time, they have nutritious food on top of their table, buy a vitamin, and they could secure their health by regularly visiting the health center.
With this development, Jonalyn is more inspired to study well and do her best for her papa who chooses to take care of them than remarrying.
“I want to show to my father that everything he did to us is something that he is proud of. I know how he struggled for us. Being a mom and father of six at the same time is not an easy task.I salute my father”, she said.
Jonalyn took her 80 hours On- the- Job- Training (OJT) at the regional office of the Department of Social Welfare and Development under the Social Marketing Unit (SMU) before completing her senior high school.
Being a charming and talented girl, Jonalyn helped the SMU in advocacy activities especially in gathering feedback from the clients who availed the programs and services of the Department. Jonalyn received a highest rating with her good performance which helped her to be one of the students of Ramon Avancena National High School (RANHS) who garnered With Honors during their graduation rites. Indeed, Jonalyn said that she never expects that her sacrifices paid off but for her, she deserved such honors because of her perseverance and determination in life amidst poverty.
“I could not repay all the sacrifices of my father but this award is for him”, she ended.//Montesa G. Caoyonan