Beneficiaries of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program from the provinces of Quirino and Isabela drew admiration from the spectators as they shared how DSWD’s programs and services changed their lives during the conduct of the remaining legs of the CSO-Led Fora recently.

“Since we became a beneficiary of the Pantawid Pamilya, lots of positive changes happened into our lives,” Ronelyn Resureccion, a beneficiary and a Parent Leader from Nagtipunan, Quirino, shared.

Resureccion said that through the cash grants they receive, her children are now enjoying a healthy breakfast before they go to school which make them perform better in class. Also, they can already afford to pay her children’s school obligations.

“But more than the financial help, the program has improved my knowledge through the Family Development Sessions (FDS) and capacitated me to fully develop my potentials through the trainings I attended,” she added.

Also, scholars under the Student’s Grants in-aid Program for Poverty Alleviation (SGP-PA) shared how the government is helping them to be closer to their dreams.

Aiza Wakit, was an ESGP-PA scholar when she was pursuing Bachelor of Secondary Education in Nueva Vizcaya State University- Bayombong Campus. She now works at the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office (MSWDO) of Kasibu, Nueva Vizcaya.

The SGP-PA is a tie-up college scholarship program of DSWD and the Commission on Higher Education for the beneficiaries of Pantawid Pamila wherein a student grantee is entitled to a maximum of P30, 000 pesos per semester.

The series of CSO-Led Fora conducted aimed at showcasing and strengthening the department’s partnership with the Civil Society Organizations. The activities in Quirino and Nueva Vizcaya were spearheaded by the Quirino Ministers Fellowship and by the I-HELP.

Meanwhile, the Pantawid Pamilya is a human-development program of the national government that invests in the health and education of poor Filipino children aged 0-18 years old. Cash grants are provided to families in exchange of compliance to health and education conditionalities. Parents must also attend the Family Development Sessions. ### By MARICEL B.ASEJO, Information Officer II- Pantawid Pamilya