The Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) under the implementation of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) warns program beneficiaries against alleged cash card pawning.

The program has received unofficial reports stating that some of its beneficiaries use their cash cards as collaterals for loans.

Regional Program Coordinator of the 4Ps in region 9, Flordeliza A. Atuy, said that the alleged pawning of cash cards is now being validated by the Grievance Redress System (GRS).

“We have a grievance system in place that works on validation and provides actions to complaints received from the field. From time to time, we also conduct spot-checks or surprise visits to our beneficiaries to see for ourselves how they comply with the program conditionalities and policies,” Atuy said.

According to the implementing rules and guidelines of the program, cash card pawning constitutes part of misdemeanor grievances and any beneficiary caught practicing such is subjected to sanctions as prescribed by the National Advisory Committee (NAC), an interagency body that provides policy directions and guidelines to the program management office on matters pertinent to project implementation.

As per NAC Resolution 20 Series of 2014, the following are the imposed sanctions for complaints on misuse of grants (pawning of cash cards):

1. First Offense: Counseling by the Municipal Link and a written warning from the head of the Provincial Operations Office.
2. Second Offense: Counseling by the Social Welfare Officer III and a written warning from the Regional Director; Household’s grants for two (2) months shall be suspended.
3. Third Offense: Delisting of the concerned household under GRS Fraud duly approved by the Regional Director and tagging to be facilitated by the Regional Grievance Officers. The household’s delisted status is non-appealable.

Other misdemeanor complaints may include, but not limited to: misuse of grants such as drug-abuse, alcoholism, and gambling, collection of fees, and false representation of beneficiaries in the program. Sanctions vary for each complaint.

Program implementers encourage beneficiaries to participate in reporting cases of misdemeanor to the grievance officers in the region by contacting their grievance hotline at 09271613818.

Teampura is a coined term from the acronyms derived from the phrase: Together, Everyone Achieves More Positive Understanding and Responsive Action (TEAMPURA), a mantra that drives the passion of the DSWD Zamboanga Sibugay staff.

And just like the famous Japanese dish, Teampura is served hot and served as the primary dish in a meal of services that are being offered in Zamboanga Sibugay Province, as if it is the main course to a fine social service delivery.

The Municipality of Titay is a 2^nd class municipality in the Province of Zamboanga Sibugay with 30 barangays. Titay is known as an agricultural municipality wherein farming is the main source of livelihood and income for most of its residents.

Having a population of 49,673 the Listahanan has identified 4,354 poor families in the municipality which ranks Titay as the 14th poorest municipality out of 16 municipalities in the entire Zamboanga Sibugay Province.

With this, the DSWD implements the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program in the said municipality to reach out to the poor families with a total of 4,663 beneficiaries composed of 4,132 beneficiaries under the Regular Conditional Cash Transfer (RCCT) and 531 under the Modified Conditional Cash Transfer for Indigenous Peoples (MCCT-IP).

And with such huge numbers to cater to, teampura is the key to be able to efficiently serve and bring social services on the table and plates of the vulnerable sectors.

The team was initially established as Tulosulo last 2017 as the KC NCDDP was implemented in the municipality of Titay, Zamboanga Sibugay. The team was composed of 22 team members: 4 of which are SLP PDO II, 4 KC NCDDP implementers and 14 Pantawid Pamilya Pilipino Program workers.

These workers from various programs and projects complement each other for an efficient delivery of services. Several activities are conducted with the coordination of field implementers such as the Municipal Inter-Agency Committee (MIAC) stakeholders meeting, Municipal Action Team (MAT) meeting implementation of Convergence Initiative, close review and implementation of Convergence Municipal Action Plan especially stakeholders commitments and household monitoring. The team members are guided and informed of the different plans of their respective programs/projects so as to ensure that all beneficiaries are provided with appropriate intervention.

The Local Government Unit of Titay is also very well-involved and is very supportive of the DSWD’s programs and activities through the provision of different resources, legislations, and mobilization of communities to improve the level of well-being of the partner beneficiaries.

The MAT, MIAC and CSO’s work hand-in-hand to create convergence as an initiative to answer the gaps felt by the communities/partner beneficiaries.

Teampura ensures that everyone is involved in all endeavors of the Department to guarantee that maximum success potential is achieved and all seeds planted will grow abundantly.

PLANT YOUR SAVINGS

With the introduction of the Bio-Intensive Gardening (BIG) in the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) as part of its mandate, sprout the Convergence Initiative (CI) 2017 dubbed as “DAGDAG KITA SA BAKURAN.”

It aims to assist 100% of our partner beneficiaries to have a secured source of nutrition and staple food on the table through the establishment of backyard and communal gardens thus decreasing the health issues and sustainable food security concerns in the area.

Apart from addressing the nutritional gaps of a household, the gardening activities also helped the beneficiaries augment their income. Teampura helped the beneficiaries strategically perform their best practices in the gardening by providing them technical assistance such as maintenance, logistical support, and bookkeeping among others. The team strengthened the implementation through sustained information dissemination, various orientations on organic gardening which led to the upgrade of the convergence initiative from Dagdag Kita sa Bakuran to “Save a Peso a Day” which was launched last November 19, 2017.

Its primary objective is to inculcate the practice of saving for when it is needed. From mere planting vegetables, the initiative has now flourished into potential savings.

SAVE A PESO A DAY Saves the Day

Prior to the implementation of the C.I., the provincial office in Zamboanga Sibugay constantly receives several financial concerns daily from the 4Ps beneficiaries that vary from needs for household expenses, educational expenses, emergency medical expenditures and etc.

SAVE A PESO A DAY is seen as the answer to the unexpected crises and financial difficulties which our partner beneficiaries may encounter in the future.

Evident in their individual savings account, the partner beneficiaries are now able to save money from their income in their backyard and communal garden. As aggressive as some of them are, some of the beneficiaries are able to use their additional income as a startup capital to put up a small business, they also invested in group lending where everybody benefits from the interest, others even used their money to venture into poultry and hog raising business.

The partner beneficiaries express that they are now less worried about unexpected crises or even about hospitalization concerns that go beyond the “zero billing” policy of accredited hospitals.

With this observable impact of the convergence initiative in the lives of the partner beneficiaries, the Team and MIAC came up with the next step of the Convergence Initiative in the 2^nd semester 2018, the level up the previous Convergence Initiative to “GUGMA SA NEGOSYO, IPON KO, CAPITAL KO.

This initiative was launched last December 6, 2018. It focuses on the strengthening of organized community groups for effective income generating activities. The C/MAT Team conducted several Organizational Development, Financial Management Session, and Simple Bookkeeping seminars for the beneficiaries that helped them in sustaining their income-generating activities, installation of simple accounting system, local accreditation, and construction of by-laws.

The TEAMPURA at school

Since Teampura is a collaboration of all stakeholders to address gaps and provide appropriate interventions, one gap has caught the attention of the team –the alarming increase in number of the children not attending school or what the 4Ps program call the “NAS children”.

This led the team to implement a project entitled “SPG – Estudyante, Pamilya at Gobyerno; Hawak kamay para sa Pagbabago”, an initiative launched last May 3, 2019.

It ensures 100% school enrollees among children beneficiaries and sustain their attendance to school. This is in support to the Bata: Balik Eskwela campaign of the national office to bring the Not Attending School (NAS) children back in school either through regular classes or in Alternative Learning System (ALS).

With this convergence initiative, almost 233 children went back to school even those children not monitored by the program.

During the launching of the project, all MIAC members were present and contributed a lot in the implementation of the initiative. Department heads from the LGU and the PNP Officers served as Resource Speakers for the parents, DepEd/ ALS Personnel served as resource speakers for the children, our partners in the Religious Sector provided Moral recovery sessions both for parents and children.

As a result, Titay-LGU committed to provide school supplies for the children –a commitment that is well-commended by the Department as this shows the strong convergence power of the team in the area which inspired a lot of other teams not only in the Zamboanga Sibugay Province but in the entire Zamboanga Peninsula as well.

Teampura and its special sauce

Just like a regular tempura, Teampura also needs sauce to make it more special and more delicious before it is served to the public. The special sauce of the Teampura is their external sources and support from partners.

Through the strong relationship that was built overtime, the team was able to seek help from its partners in the successful implementation of their initiatives. Because of the well-established coordination, the Local Government Unit in the municipality of Titay funded all of the initiatives presented by the team.

In a validation activity conducted by the PRAISE Committee, Teampura mentioned that they have never encountered rejections be it funds or mobilization support from the LGU.

As Local Chief Executive Hon. Leonardo Talania, Municipal Mayor, said in one of the local events “in any activity for the people wherein the team needs augmentation and assistance, just provide a project proposal and the LGU will gladly accommodate your requests such as sources for funds or logistical support for the activities.”

We already know from the stories mentioned in the first half of this article that the team has a strong support from other national government agencies, to wit: the Department of Education which was their partner during the “SPG“ launching as majority of the preparation of the event was lodged to the DepEd (ie Venue, Sound system, Stage and Emcee) with the amount of 64,000 for the food and school supplies.

In addition, the Municipal Agriculture office had also provided several variety seeds worth 100,000 and animal dispersal to our beneficiaries for their gardening project, the Dagdag Kita sa Bakuran.

The Municipal Administrator voluntarily donated 10,000 pesos cash to purchased seedlings for beneficiaries and pledged 10,000 pesos annual donation for the search for modelong gulayan.

The Barangay Local Government Unit of all barangays also showed support by their commitment in monitoring the Communal Gardens as well as the behaviors of the target children beneficiaries.

TEAMPURA –not a dish but an ingredient

It has been proven that the system and strategy of the team is effective in bring social welfare services closer to the reach of their target beneficiaries. But for the team members of Teampura, the success that they see now is not necessarily because of them. Rather the result of the effort of all people working together to achieve common goals, one step at a time.

For them, Teampura acts like an ingredient that pulls together all other major ingredients to come up with one very tasty offering to their clients. That’s the secret recipe to a successful dish.

As their name says, Together, Everyone Achieves More Positive Understanding and Responsive Action.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development clarifies difference between the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) and the Listahanan Project after noticing apparent confusion from public.

The confusion stirred from the misinterpretation of the purpose of the currently being conducted household assessment by the Listahanan. The public misunderstood the assessment as registration to the country’s conditional cash transfer program, 4Ps, which is also implemented by the Department.

DSWD-9 OIC-Regional Director Fatima S. Caminan emphasized that the Listahanan is a project that determines who and where the poor are while the 4Ps is a program that invests in human capital by providing cash grants to beneficiaries for education and health.

“The Listahanan database is what we use as basis for identification of beneficiaries of social welfare programs and services not only of DSWD but also of other agencies. It does not provide any grants unlike the 4Ps,” OIC-Regional Director Caminan said.

Furthermore, the Department also clarifies that having been assessed by the Listahanan does not necessarily guarantee a family inclusion to 4Ps and other programs of the Department.

“It still depends if a family was found out to be poor and if they qualify to the program based on its guidelines,” OIC-RD Caminan added.

The Listahanan household assessment is anticipated to finish by the end of January this year. All households are targeted to be assessed including beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development recently recognized children beneficiaries across the country as national advocates of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program or more popularly known as 4Ps.

During the Araw ng Kabataan held in Pasig City last November 23, 17 exemplary children were awarded as program advocates that will promote the gains and successes of the country’s conditional cash transfer program.

No less than the DSWD Assistant Secretary, Glenda Relova, together with the National Program Manager, Director Gemma B. Gabuya, presented the recognition to the children.

“We are so happy to see that the program continuous to nurture young and great minds in the hope that their families will soon escape the cycle of poverty. These Pantawid Pamilya children clearly have a bright future ahead,” DSWD ASec. Glenda Relova said.

Also present during the ceremony was Pasig City Mayor, Hon. Vico Sotto who gave salutation to the Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries in Pasig and vowed to support the program advocacies for its beneficiaries.

The Araw ng Kabataan served as the culminating activity of the National Children’s Month celebration. In line with this, the Department celebrated a week-long children’s congress from November 18-24, 2019 in San Juan City, Manila.

Approximately 94 children-beneficiaries of 4Ps from different provinces and cities in the country participated in the said congress including regional representatives from Zamboanga Peninsula.

This year’s theme was “Bata Para Sa Bata” emphasizing the role of children in defining a safe space for children in the community.

Pantawid Pamilya is a social protection program of the national government that invests in the health and education of poor households primarily of children aged 0-18 and pregnant women. Program beneficiaries receive cash grants as they comply with the program conditions applicable to their households. The conditions are: pregnant women must avail pre and post-natal care and be attended during childbirth by a trained health professional; parents must attend Family Development Sessions (FDS); 0-5 years old children must receive regular preventive health check-ups and vaccines; 6-14 years old children must receive deworming pills twice a year; and children beneficiaries (0-18 years old) must enroll in school and maintain a class attendance of at least 85% per month.

In line with National Family Week Celebration, the Department of Social Welfare and Development gathered the beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilya Pilipino Program in a 1-day activity which aimed to celebrate the values and successes of Filipino families.

The Family Day 2019 was held last October 06, 2019 at the Scout Limbaga, Pasonanca, Zamboanga City in partnership with the Local Government Unit and other program stakeholders.

Anchored on the theme “Kalusugan Pangkaisipan ng Pamilya Pilipino”, approximately 100 family beneficiaries from various barangays in Zamboanga City such as Canelar, Camino Nuevo, Pasonanca, and Sta. Maria joined in the festive merriment as a symbol of unity and promote camaraderie among DSWD staff and beneficiaries alike.

OIC-Regional Director of the DSWD IX, Fatima S. Caminan, personally delivered her message to the beneficiaries emphasizing their crucial role in nation building.

“Family is the smallest yet the strongest unit in the society. And we, in the DSWD, are very proud that most of our family beneficiaries show resiliency amidst hardships which means a lot because it tells us that they are willing to help the Department bring positive change in their lives,” Caminan said.

The event also served as an avenue for other partner-stakeholders of 4Ps to provide social services for the poor household beneficiaries such as medical and dental services from the Department of Health, livelihood training from TESDA, massage services from the Area Vocational and Rehabilitation Center III and other recreational activities from Mary Kay and Jollibee Foods Corporations.

The National Program Management Office of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program also held the same activity on September 29, 2019 which was participated by all of the regional Huwarang Pantawid Pamilya from across 17 regions in the country.

HAPPENINGS DURING THE FAMILY DAY

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), together with the City Government of Zamboanga honored the heroes of the devastating Zamboanga siege on its 6th-year commemoration on September 9, 2019 at City Grounds, Zamboanga City.

The commemoration activity entitled A Special Day of Remembrance was conducted to pay tribute to the fallen heroes who fought for security, for their comrades, for the civilians who were used as human shields, and for the city; for the civilians who lost their lives protecting their families, friends, homes, neighbors, and the innocent children against violence and greed of the misguided few.

DSWD’s Undersecretary of Department of Social Welfare and Development, Danilo G. Pamonag graced the event as the keynote speaker where he also led the wreath-laying ceremony together with the Zamboanga City Mayor, Maria Isabelle Climaco-Salazar at the memorial marker on Rizal Street. It was also attended by DSWD Field Office 9 Regional Director Nestor B. Ramos, and other local and national agency representatives.

Prior to his role in the DSWD, Usec. Pamonag served in the military as Commander of the AFP Joint Special Operations Group (JSOG), the country’s top-tier counter-terrorist unit, when the 2013 Zamboanga Siege broke out.

“Do you know the difference between Zamboanga and Marawi? Why were we able to defeat the enemy in 21 days compared to Marawi Siege? In Zamboanga, you have your government led by your Mayor Beng Climaco that looked after the displaced families. So our [military] attention was focused only on attacking and apprehending the rebels. And it helped a lot,” Usec. Pamonag said during his speech yesterday.

It can be recalled that the invasion of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in 2013 has affected 14 barangays in the city and displaced more than 18,110 families with 78,747 individuals who temporarily took refuge in the 66 evacuation centers. A total of 510,119,723.08 worth of assistance were provided by the DSWD during emergency, early recovery and rehabilitation phase of the disaster operations.

The DSWD also provided augmentation support amounting to Php. 58,663,500.00 (an amount transferred by the NHA) to continuously implement programs for the Internally Displaced Persons (IPDs) until the eventual transfer of all affected families to their permanent shelters/homes.

As per status report submitted by the City Social Welfare and Development Office as of May 08, 2018, out of the total target of 5,587 IDP families, only 4,415 or 79% initially availed of the financial assistance with a total grant utilized amounting to Php. 43,898,000.00. The remaining unutilized funds are in the possession of the department where schedule of payout depends on the submission of master list from Housing and Land Management Division (HLMD). DSWD is tasked to provide and validate the list of IDPs in permanent shelters with an assistance amounting of Php. 10,000.00 per family.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is currently preparing for the second nationwide social welfare assessment among beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, better known as 4Ps.

This is to determine the level of well-being of the beneficiaries after a decade of interventions thru the program implementation. The Social Welfare and Development Indicator (SWDI) administration will determine whether a family beneficiary is still in the survival, subsistence, or self-sufficient state.

Survival is defined as the condition where there is lack of inner and external resources which make households unable to resolve problems and survive in a daily basis. Subsistence is a condition that opens some resources and alternatives to the beneficiaries to surpass basic daily needs, while Self-sufficiency means the households already have other sources of income and can already stand without interventions from the government. 

“Kailangan nating malaman kung ano na ang kalagayan ng ating mga beneficiaries at kung anong tamang intervention ang pwede pang ibigay sa kanila para maging self-sufficient. (We need to know the state of well-being of our beneficiaries and determine appropriate interventions for them to reach self-sufficiency),” Regional Program Coordinator, Ms. Flordeliza A. Atuy said during the orientation with program staff in Region 9. 

Other than determining the level of well-being of the beneficiaries, the SWDI is also a tool that will help the Department identify the needs and capabilities of the partner-beneficiaries to be able to provide interventions for the improvement of their lives not just from the DSWD but from the other social service providers as well.

The Regional Program Management Office (RPMO) of the Pantawid Pamilya currently conducts orientation and information dissemination for awareness about the upcoming household assessment.

The first SWDI administration, which was conducted in 2015, revealed that among the (then) 279,212 household beneficiaries, 229,375 or 82% of the total 4Ps household population in region 9 have improved condition of life since their enrollment to the program.

Pantawid Pamilya targets to administer the SWDI tool to 312,000 active beneficiaries both from the Regular Conditional Cash Transfer Program (RCCT) and the Modified Conditional Cash Transfer Program (MCCT) in region 9.

The total budget for the administration in the entire Zamboanga Peninsula is 19 million which covers expenses on orientation, hiring of enumerators, encoders, and other operational expenses. The DSWD field office IX has requested for an additional of 5 million pesos for augmentation.

The SWDI administration is targeted to be conducted for 3 months starting end of September to December this year.

Pantawid Pamilya is a social protection program of the national government that invests in the health and education of poor households primarily of children aged 0-18 and pregnant women. Program beneficiaries receive cash grants as they comply with the program conditions applicable to their households. The conditions are: pregnant women must avail pre and post-natal care and be attended during childbirth by a trained health professional; parents must attend Family Development Sessions (FDS); 0-5 years old children must receive regular preventive health check-ups and vaccines; 6-14 years old children must receive deworming pills twice a year; and children beneficiaries (0-18 years old) must enroll in school and maintain a class attendance of at least 85% per month. As of May 2018, there are 4.39 million active households in the program nationwide.

It is often said that the fruit does not fall far from the tree. Bines family may be a living epitome of this saying. Spreading the seed of goodness to the community stems from the foundation that the family nurtures.

Both parents, Rolando Bines and Analyn Labang, believe that whatever they do today will be reflected by their children in the future hence they make sure that they become models of good values to their children.

They believe that the best fruit of success that they will reap in the future is when they will see their children being of service to people other than themselves. That is why as early as now, they show their children what kindness truly means and how this is important to realize their purpose in life.

BACKSTORY

In a small, remote town in the southern part of Mindanao is a 4^th-class municipality where the locals seem to share hospitality and generosity towards each other. The people of Barangay Tandubuay in the Municipality of San Pablo, Zamboanga del Sur, could attest to the kindness and the brand of legacy of the Bines family.

Rolando, 47, is described as a “Jack of all Trade” as his does almost, if not all, tasks that require specific skills in the household. He does plumbing, carpentry, masonry, welding, and a few more others.

Despite him being color blind, he sees to it that his family’s life is always full of colors.

His wife, Analyn, 42, on the other hand, is expert in handling household concerns such as taking care of their children, managing their finances, and ensuring the family’s health, among others.

Blessed with three children, the couple strives to provide the needs of their children be it in health and/or in education. Ron Kennoly, 16, is now in Grade 11; Christine Jan, 14, is in Grade 9 and both are studying at San Pablo National High School; while the youngest of the siblings, Beethoven, 12, is currently in Grade 12 at Tandubuay National High School.

Despite having experienced hardships that are brought about by poverty, Bines family never lost their faith both in God and in the hope that one day, they will live a comfortable life that they can share not just within their family but with other families in the community as well.

In 2009, a blessing knocked onto their door as they were included in the (then newly-established) conditional cash transfer program of the national government known as the Pantawid Pamilya Pilipino Program.

They consider it as a big blessing in their family as it helped them discover several other things that they can do with their potential.

KASAKIT (GRIEF) GROUP

Despite having so little in life, Bines family never forgets to help their community in ways they can.

In 2015, Rolando Bines created a support group within their Purok called the Kasakit, a local term which means grief. The Kasakit aims to assuage the burden of the poor, grieving families who have lost a loved one. This support group offers assistance to the bereaved family by providing free labor for the coffin of the deceased.

As a carpenter, Rolando offers his skills and service to make coffins for those who cannot afford to buy one.

“Di na ko mangubra sa ilaha. Gamay nga ikatabang na lang to kay di man ko makahatag og kwarta, (I won’t charge [for my service]. It’s a small help since I could not afford to give them money,” Rolando said in a phone interview.

When asked about the reason why Rolando started this initiative, Analyn said that his husband has always been passionate about helping other people and that he wants to show to his children that they can be of help even if they have less.  

The public saw the positive effect of the help that the Kasakit Group has initiated not just for the bereaved family but for the entire community. The families that they have helped were relieved of additional weight while the community has found hope and faith in humanity.

The practice of the KASAKIT Group has now been replicated by other Puroks in the barangay and it is now adopted by the Barangay Local Government Unit of Tandubuay as one of their best practices.

VIOICE OF THE PEOPLE

Because of their selfless contributions and harmonious relationship with their neighbors, the people of Tandubuay have entrusted the Bines Family with important roles and duties to play in the barangay.

Rolando has become part of the BADAC or the Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Committee that enables a drug-free community by helping those who have been victims of the influence of illegal drugs.

In their Purok, Rolando is assigned to talk to the victims for possible surrender and rehabilitation. As of today, Rolando was able to convince 58 surrenderees and their lives have changed since then.

Determined to turn their situation around, Rolando is also hands-on in helping the surrenderees in their community services and activities.

Other than that, he also had contributed in the establishment of several developmental facilities in their barangay such as the Day Care Center, bridge, community chapel, and the ongoing project, a 3-unit classroom for children.

These are on top of his other community services as PTCA President in school, as commentator in church and leader of the Ginagmay Simbahanong Katilingban (GSK) together with his wife, Analyn.

Analyn, on the other hand, was appointed as Barangay Health Worker (BHW) last February 2018.

The Barangay Chairman of Tandubuay, Hon. Lonita M. Largo, said that she saw how responsible Analyn is in handling given tasks. In fact, surprisingly, she has surpassed the number of members and clients served compared to the previous BHWs.

“Maaasahan mo talaga siya sa mga gawain. May hawak siya ngayong 30 households. Yun yung tinutulungan niya in terms sa health ng constituents namin, [She is really trustworthy. She currently handles 30 households which she helps in their health concerns,]” said Hon. Largo.

Analyn monitors the weight and health of the children in their barangay including health of pregnant women. She is also in charge of ensuring the health maintenance of the Senior Citizens.

These deeds of the couple are truly remarkable and exemplary thus making them the powerhouse couple of Barangay Tandubuay.

KUNG ANO ANG PUNO AY SIYA RING BUNGA (A TREE WILL BEAR A FRUIT OF ITS KIND)

The passion and compassion of the parents is now being shared by the entire family. As young as they are, the children also start to show manifestations of being kind-hearted to their neighbors.

Ron Kennoly, the eldest, is part of a group called the People’s Youth Association (PYA), a group of young individuals who share common desire to give back to the community by doing activities that would keep teenagers from trouble.

As the leader of the PYA, Ron Kennoly conducts meetings amongst the members after their Sunday church service. He facilitates bible-sharing and helps in planning activities for youth like him.

Christine Jan, the female child, is currently attending seminar as altar server. This way, their chapel will no longer need for altar servers from outside their barangay.

Her involvement in the church inspires many girls her age to become active as well in the community to avoid the rampant concern on teenage pregnancy.

Beethoven, the youngest of the three children, is a classroom President. He monitors his classmates on their tasks in school and helps them accomplish their tasks.

He says that he plans to be a lawyer someday so that he can help poor families fight for their rights.

The three Bines children are motivated by the examples that they see from their parents. The foundation that they have right now is based on the personal values that Rolando and Analyn have instilled in them.

WINNING MOMENT

Last July 31, Bines Family was awarded as the champion of the regional search for Huwarang Pantawid Pamilya in Zamboanga Peninsula. They will serve as ambassadors of the program gains brought about by the interventions of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program.

On September 29, they will be invited to Manila to receive a national recognition from the DSWD for being an exemplary family despite the struggles and poverty that they face. This is also one way of the department to highlight the stories of change of many Filipino whose lives have changed because of the collaborative efforts of the government programs.