“Gagawin ko ang lahat para sa maayos na kinabukasan ng aking mga anak,” then tears flowed down on her cheeks. Brave, strong but a soft-hearted mother – these are the qualities that make Nora Reperuga.

Nora happily lives with her husband and her five children in Aparri, Cagayan. Though his husband’s job is not regular, she still feels grateful because somehow, they can get through their daily needs.

Despite the financial scarcity, Nora’s face always beams with happiness especially that all of her children are gaining grades of flying colors and are consistent honor students. These achievements motivated Nora and her husband to work harder for the studies of their children. So they thought of making an additional source of income by selling ‘kakanin’.

As the morning sun rises, the Neperuga couple wakes up early and begins working on their humble business. Her husband is the one who cooks the ‘kakanin’, ‘tinudu’, and ‘kalasukus’, while Nora is the one who walks around the neighborhood to sell.

Nora’s first stop is in the market where everyone feasts on her delicious delicacies. When the clock strikes at 1: 00 PM, she walks to and fro, yelling at the top of her lungs, and enticing the community folks to buy and have a bite of her mouth-watering gastronomic delights.

This is how everyday unfolds for Nora. Because of her hard work and perseverance, she earned the admiration and respect of her fellows. “Lahat ng ito ay para sa aking mga anak, dahil sa kagustuhan ko na sila ay mabigyan ng magandang buhay. Salamat sa Diyos at kahit papano, nakakaraos kami sa araw-araw naming pangangailangan,” she said.

All these sacrifices paid off when the Neperuga kiddos all received recognitions last March. The eldest of the brood, Jayson, finished at the top of his class as the valedictorian of Aparri East National High School. Jayson also drew inspiration from the crowd when he delivered his valedictory address during the celebration led by the Department of Social Welfare and Development for high school graduates who are beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program.  He is now assured of a college education as a scholar of the Department of Science and Technology.

“Ang kinikita naming mag-asawa ay sapat lamang upang matustusan ang aming mga pangangailangan, ngunit sa tulong ng Pantawid Pamilya, nararamdaman naming ang kahit na kunting ginhawa,” Nora gushed, telling that the cash grant is solely allotted for the educational needs of her children.

She is very thankful for being a beneficiary of the program because this opened other door of opportunities for their family, as they also became a recipients of the Sustainable Livelihood Program.

“Sa tulong naman ng SLP, kami ay umaasa na unti-unting lalago ang aming simpleng kabuhayan,” she continued.

“Hindi ako magsasawa at mapapagod na maglakad karga ang bilao sa aking ulo, kahit pa ilang milya ay hindi ko iindahin. Ang lahat ng ito ay para sa kinabukasan ng aking mga anak. Sa tulong ng Pantawid Pamilya, buo ang aking paniniwala na isang maliwanag na bukas ang naghihntay para sa kanila. At bilang mga magulang na ang hangad ay isang magandang buhay para sa kanyang mga supling, lahat ay aking titiisin at gagawin,” Nora concluded, with eyes that sparkle with hope, and a voice that evokes determination. ### By ROCEL M. DELA CRUZ, Municipal Link