Field Office No. 10

Women nowadays can be rarely found in the kitchen or doing the household chores since the inevitable increase of poverty incidence enforces them to do more than just taking care of the house and waiting for the ‘remittance’ of their husband’s meager salary.

Alma L. Idragasin, 45, for one believes that a woman should equally help her husband in all aspects especially in the financial concerns of the family. She is currently residing at District 4, Consolacion, Cagayan de Oro City together with her two children aged 19 and 18, her sister’s children aged 11 and 6, and her grandchild who is only 8 months old. Given this number of family members, Alma’s husband, who is a pedicab driver, could hardly provide for their needs that is why she decided to help him by driving a pedicab also and collecting jars, plastics, old newspapers and metals that can be sold to junk shops.

Alma’s two children no longer go to school since she could not afford to send them to college but the two were able to finish high school. Her 11-year-old niece is in Grade 5 and has been consistently receiving ribbons and medals every recognition day. According to Alma, she took the responsibility of raising her sister’s children since the latter only leaves her children on the streets and she does her own thing.

“Maski naglisud mi, dili nako maagwanta nga makita akong mga pag-umangkon nga gakatulog sa kalsada sa Divisoria ug luoy kaayo ug mga hitsura (Even if we are not doing well with our life, I can never bear the sight of my niece and nephew sleeping on the streets of Divisoria and are in pitiful situation),” Alma emotionally shared. She has been raising her sister’s children since they were still infants even if Alma’s children find it inappropriate because they are already living in a depressing situation.

The striving mother never gave up on the trials that came their way. She remained strong and determined to make a better tomorrow for her children including her sister’s children, whom she now calls her own too. Alma thought that everything will turn out fine but not until her 18-year-old daughter was raped and has bore a child.

“Sakit kaayo ang nahitabo sa akong anak. Ang lisud pa gyud karon kay wala na siya sa saktong panghuna-huna ug galakaw-lakaw nalang bisag asa busa ako nalang ang gabantay ug gapalit ug gatas para sa akong apo (I feel terrible pain from what happened to my child. The situation got even worse when she became mentally incapacitated and has been wandering from one place to another. This is the reason why I took charge in raising and providing milk for my grandchild),” Alma said in misty-eyed.

When she became a beneficiary of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development on November 2008, Alma was very happy and she was able to say that 4Ps is one of the blessings that will come to those who will strive for a better life and to those who will really dare to help others despite the unfavorable condition they are in. Since then, Alma has been receiving P800 to support the education and health of her “children.”

4Ps is one of the strategies of the government to reduce poverty through giving conditional cash grants to the poorest households to improve the health, nutrition and education especially the children aged 0-14. It is also designed to meet certain human development goals like empowering women and enticing them to boost their confidence in facing life’s challenges.

Alma, whose story of struggle and hope is intended to empower women, only proves that women indeed are the success of the country. Thus, DSWD celebrates this women’s month with the theme, “Babae: Tagumpay ka ng Bayan!” to encourage all women to be part of social change.

The Department of So cial W elfare and Development recently conducted a foster care evaluation to parents who are presently fostering children under the KBF sponsorship program of the Holt International.

In the evaluation, the foster parents also shared their experiences and best practices on how they tend the children under their care. This, as DSWD staff said, is a necessary strategy to enable other parents to replicate the same practice for their own fostered children.