The pen stares at her, patiently waiting to be picked up by her old, wrinkly hands. The paper lays there neatly without a trace of ink. Then her grandchild spoke, “grandma, write your name,” she heard the boy say.

Siyang Esnaji Batuna, 53, from Taguisian, Mabuhay, Zamboanga Sibugay Province had never once tried to pen her own name on a sheet of paper. How could she? She does not have a single idea how. Having been raised in a far-flung community where education is not seen as a necessity, Siyang had never stepped foot in a school to learn how to write.

As archaic as it sounds, most of the Indigenous People (IP) in Siyang’s hometown during her youth never attended school because of poverty. The young boys, at the early age, would be asked to help their families earn a living while the girls will be left at home doing household chores or be fixed to marry.

Seeing her grandchildren today, Siyang could not help but be regretful of the missed opportunity that could have helped her escape the bonds of poverty.

“Kung nakapagtapos ako ng pag-aaral, sigurado matutulungan ko ang mga apo ko ngayon,” Siyang Batuna said.

Every day, Siyang spends time with her grandchildren while they study their lessons. Listening to them say their ABC’s gives joy to Siyang even though she barely understands what they are talking about. She takes pride that the younger generation of her clan are able to equip themselves with knowledge through the help of the 4Ps.

Siyang’s family have been a member of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), a poverty-alleviation program under the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) that provides aid to poor families for their education and health.

The 4Ps has helped her family and many others in ensuring that children stay healthy and are actively involved in school -something that her generation has not experience but at least her grandchildren are enjoying.

 

ONLY CARABAOS GROW OLD

 There is a reason that the carabao, or the water buffalo, is hailed as the country’s national animal. As a symbol of hard work, the carabao is a tough, powerful, and a tireless beast. But even an animal that is as majestic as the carabao grows old and eventually expires. Our grandparents used to quote this proverb to remind everybody that there are things that defy time and age just like our hopes and dreams. Such are things that do not expire with time.

When the 4Ps program of the DSWD became known to the Samah community in Taguisian, Siyang knew that one day, her dreams that her children and grandchildren will know better than her, will come to reality. Little did she know, she will learn together with them and may even graduate with them if fate permits.

 

THE MODERN KKK

In the history of the Philippines, the KKK or the Kataastaasang, Kagalang-galangang Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan paved the way for the country’s freedom from the Spanish colonization. This freedom is something that we, the modern Filipinos, enjoy today.

The 4Ps workers in the municipality of Mabuhay have introduced a new version of the KKK. But this time, it is not to free us from any colonizer, but rather to free our IPs brothers and sisters from the grim effect pre-literacy.

An initiative called the KKK or the “Kaalaman at Karunungan ang susi sa Kaunlaran” was made possible through a partnership between the DSWD, the Local Government Unit (LGU) and the Department of Education Alternative Learning System (DepEd ALS).

The KKK is a basic literacy program for IPs that aims to provide opportunities for out-of-school-youth and/or adult learners to develop basic and functional literacy skills, and to access equivalent pathways to complete basic education.

Learners like Siyang who is already 53 years old and other adult learners now have the opportunity to acquire grade level or secondary level education once they become ALS passers.

“We have noticed that many of our 4Ps beneficiaries in these pilot barangays do not know how to read letters and numbers, nor write their names or even their signatures. So we thought that this initiative would greatly help them and so far we have received positive feedback,” says 4Ps worker Jamer Centi.

Currently, a total of 116 IPs from the Modified Conditional Cash Transfer and the Regular Conditional Cash Transfer program of the 4Ps have enrolled in the KKK initiative. The DSWD monitors the implementation of the initiative while the LGU provides the budget and the DepEd provides the learning platform.

The beneficiaries-learners have expressed their gratitude for being part of this initiative.

“Nag-iskul ako ALS para gae ko tarupang iban taakkalan sin mga gae hap aa. (I enrolled in ALS so that I would not fall victim to deceit and abuse by people)” Sarah Muallam Batuna, 33 years old, said.

 

 

“Gae pa tood last na nag-iskul kitabi maski toa na nia pa chance ta para akatau kitabi ayyan sarra pamuan sin Parinta na akatabang makita, (We are never too late or too old to learn. We still have a chance to know about the services of the government just like the ALS)” Jainab Mangoda, 40 years old, said.

 

 

“Maski aku toa na baya pa rin ako katao magsulat magbasa para katabang ako ma ampo ko maka magfill up forms min kaam, (Even though I am already old I want to learn how to read and write so that I could help my grandchildren and I could fill out form on my own)” Siyang Esnaji Batuna said.

With all smiles, Siyang can now bond with her grandchildren a little more especially when they need guidance in reading or learning their homework. Not only that the initiative helped the adult learners in their literacy, but it also strengthened the family relations of the beneficiaries.

 

Once again, Siyang stares at her pen, this time, with eagerness. Her old and wrinkly hand reaches the cold, stainless piece of steel and plastic that hold the dark ink. The paper lays there neatly without a trace of ink. And then she spoke, “I can write my name.”