Picking books at the dumpsite
These children stayed at the Calahunan dumpsite as they narrowed their numbers behind due to the implementation of 4Ps conditionalities.A garage truck has just unloaded another mound of junk nearby. She could clearly hear the sound and she rushed to see if there was anything that she could use. What caught her eyes was the number of books just dropped off.
She hurriedly took and examined them individually. She did not mind that these were thrown away by schools. She did not bother by the fact that these were considered immaterial by some individuals. She knew her son, Archie, who would greatly benefit from these junk.
Chona Tribunal, 29 years of age, one of the young mothers who live around the dumpsite of Calajunan in Mandurriao, Iloilo City, recalled this incident. She is one of the beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) in Mandurriao. Poverty had pushed her to pick those books knowing that her children will be happy.
Chona Tribunal.“In my spare time, I teach my children using the books that I have picked up from the garbage that the schools have thrown away,” said Chona.
For years, she has lived in the area where truckloads of garbage are dumped everyday. She has been a witness to the seemingly overthrown garbage in their place. While many would look at this as mountain of junk, for Chona and her neighbors this has been the source of livelihood for many years.
“Since I am now a beneficiary of the 4Ps, I can buy new books for my children. The program has been a great help to allow us sustain the needs of my children in their education,” Chona said.
According to her, the program has a positive effect among parents in the neighborhood. They are now forcing their children to go to school.
“4Ps has made me bond with other parents and help us group ourselves. We now share our experiences about 4Ps. In this way, we are broadening our experiences and we are learning to adjust ourselves with each other,” she added.
Geneve Naol.Another mother who has been in the place for decades is Barangay Captain Carmelita Meniel. She said that 4Ps’ effects can be felt in the barangay now.
“I used to have a lot of children working at the dumpsite for a living. Now, I can see that they are sent to school by their parents. I value education very much,” she said.
She further said, “4Ps helps the beneficiaries especially in education. I could say that 30 percent of the changes in our barangay could be attributed to 4Ps. The changes will be noticed more when 4Ps will be implemented longer – like five years without stopping its operation,” she said while thoroughly thinking of the good that 4Ps has done to their place.
Also contributing her view about 4Ps, Geneve Naol, another mother in the area, said,“4Ps nourishes not only the physical aspect but also the educational needs of my children and 4Ps has given parents the opportunity to position themselves as to their functions as individuals and parents to their children.”
Part of her trials in life, one of her three children developed a primary complex, a severe cough or a pulmonary infection. Regine Babe, seven years old, needed medical attention. The family’s income of P 2,000 a month can not sustain the costly medical expenses. Somehow, 4Ps has helped Gen managed the situation.
The 4Ps is a poverty reduction strategy that provides grants to extremely poor households to improve their health, nutrition, and education particularly of children aged 0-14. It is patterned after the successful Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) Programs in Latin America and Africa. CCT has been cited as one of the key factors behind the positive socio-economic outcomes achieved by Brazil where 11 million families are currently enrolled in the program, and other countries. To avail of the cash grants beneficiaries should comply with the following conditions: pregnant women must get pre- and post-natal care, and be attended by skilled/trained health professional during childbirth; parents or guardians must attend responsible parenthood sessions, mother’s classes, and parent effectiveness seminars; children 0 to 5 years old must receive regular preventive health check-ups and vaccines; children 3 to 5 years old must attend day care or pre-school classes at least 85% of the time; children 6 to 14 years old must enroll in elementary or high school and attend at least 85% of the time; and, children 6 to 14 years old must avail of deworming pills every five months.