Having a big family is a rewarding feeling. You have many playmates, you have fun and energetic kids running around, and most of all, you most likely always have someone whom you can talk to. In a big family, a house seldom becomes idle. But having a big family also comes with a responsibility. For poor families, having many members can even become a struggle, if not a battle.

Both Halim and wife Vilma Silbin were born in deprivation caused by poverty. They have never experienced alleviation in their youth. But as they say, birds of the same feather flock together. They have many things in common, one of which is both share the same struggles being in a poor family. And being in love with each other, they decided to start their own family.

Unplanned as it was, their relationship grew into a one big, happy, yet still poor, family. Halim and Vilma had 9 children in total. Silbin family raised their children in a little barrio in Barangay Arena Blanco, Zamboanga City.

Albeit fun, having too many kids strained their finances significantly causing the family to struggle even for their daily consumption. Halim was having a hard time finding a job since he did not have educational degree while Vilma was only earning a meager income from doing laundry in private households. In this situation, having a big family may not be the best decision especially for parents with either low income or none at all.

“Mahirap talaga yung namin pero nagsusumikap kami para makapag-aral ang mga bata para hindi sila matulad sa amin, (We are poor but we strive hard so we can send our children to school, and they will not experience the same fate as ours),” Vilma said about having to work tirelessly for her family.

It is Halim’s and Vilma’s dream for their children to acquire a diploma and soon land a job that would sufficiently provide for their respective families in the future.

In 2015, Silbin Family was registered to the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) under the Modified Conditional Cash Transfer (MCCT), a poverty-alleviation program implemented by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

Since they became members of the 4Ps, the lives of Silbin family started to go in the right direction. Children in elementary received PHP300 while high schoolers had PHP500 monthly for their educational needs. This meant that Vilma’s income can then be allocated for livelihood to sustain essentials and improve their well-being. This subsequently meant one less worry for Halim and Vilma. The couple started a small seafood vending business as a means of livelihood.

“Doon nagsimulang magbago ang estado ng buhay namin noong napasok na kami sa 4Ps. (The change in our lives began when we became 4Ps beneficiaries),” Vilma said.

The children also helped in their business which contributed to the success of their source of income. Soon after, they were able to secure a spot in the central market for trade and business.

But more than the grants that they received, Halim and Vilma are more grateful for the learning that they acquired from the program’s Family Development Sessions (FDS). They also experienced behavioral change by following the conditions of the 4Ps program. They used to think that going to health facilities is not a priority but rather an additional burden however this ideology changed when they became 4Ps beneficiaries. They understood that good health is a must and visiting health facilities could help prevent scenarios that could potentially worsen their wellbeing.

According to Vilma, her attendance to the FDS also opened her mind to the best possible ways to ensure better relationships among her family members and discover more about her potentials. From the shy and timid person that she was, she learned that she has some sort of leadership skills in her. Other 4Ps beneficiaries in their area have chosen Vilma as Parent Leader which she gladly embraced and performed.

As a result of these changes in their lives, Halim’s and Vilma’s dreams for their children have finally come to reality. Two of their elder children have finished Senior High School and now continuously help them in the flourishing business. Additionally, Silma Silbin, one of her girls has finished a bachelor’s degree in education.

Seeing her children in their graduation toga brought tears to Vilma as she remembered how they were once just dreamers and now that dream is in the reach of their palms. They are now assured that the cycle of poverty ended in their generation, and they will continue to strive even harder to sustain or improve whatever they have accomplished to ensure that the younger generation will live prosperously

Silbin Family also share this success with other poor families. From time to time, they provide assistance to the needy by sharing their blessings. As per the recent Social Welfare and Development Indicator (SWDI) assessment, a tool used to gauge the level of well-being of families in the 4Ps program, Silbin Family is now in Self-Sufficient level and is now ready to graduate or exit from the program.

 

 

Silbin Family Helping Their Neighbors          Fish, Shrimp, and Crab Business of Silbin Family