“We want to live on our own and have a more comfortable life without depending on others.”
These are the words of Leticia Belingon, 35, a former beneficiary of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) from Tungod, Lagawe, Ifugao who just bid the program goodbye in May 2024 after 12 years of being a 4Ps beneficiary.
Early life
Like everybody else, life was never easy for Leticia. At a young age, she witnessed the ups and downs of life coming from a broken family.
Such experience, according to her, has made her stronger in surmounting the challenges of life which has also shaped her into a better person and to what she has today.
Leticia finished a vocational course while her husband, Jameson, is a high school graduate and now a tricycle driver and a farmer.
Before settling in the municipality of Lagawe, Leticia lived in the municipalities of Aguinaldo and Lamut in Ifugao with the aim to provide the best life for their newly formed family.
Becoming a 4Ps beneficiary
Leticia’s family was included in the program in 2012. Their first born, Jazley, was 2 years old back then. At that time, her family depended on farming and on-call labor works as their only source of income.
While tending to their children, Leticia accepted multiple jobs from being a cashier in a grocery store and in a gasoline station, a caretaker in a lodging hotel, and a helper in a dental clinic to augment the meager income of her husband.
When Leticia became a beneficiary, she acknowledged and instilled in her family that the Program is a temporary assistance and that they will not be forever with the program.
“One thing I learned from the Program is not to depend on the assistance given to us,” Leticia shared in their vernacular.
In her 12 years with the Program, Leticia associated the good relationship built within her family from the Program’s monthly Family Development Session (FDS).
“It was through the FDS where we learned to become more understanding with enough respect and love within our family despite the many problems we faced,” she said.
However, Leticia admitted that sometimes she failed to fulfill her responsibility as a beneficiary due to her tight schedules as a working mother and a wife. Despite that, she would always ensure that their Parent Leader was informed of her absences and that she would consistently find time to catch up for the next sessions.
Aside from the values gained from the Program, Leticia associated their active participation to various organizations through the help of the Program which boosted their morale in joining community activities. Her husband and children have been actively involved in different activities inside and outside their church.
Life now
After long years of job seeking and yearning for a regular job position, Leticia finally landed a regular job as a Human Resource Staff at the Lagawe Multipurpose and Development Cooperative (LMDC).
Prior to her current position, she entered the cooperative in November 2022 as a contracted staff.
With their hardwork and perseverance, Leticia and Jameson are now able to build their own house which they call their home. Their children, Jazel and Jazley are now both in Junior High School and are doing well in their studies.
Best decision
When Leticia landed a regular position in her current work, she immediately contacted the assigned Municipal Link in the area to offer her humble decision to waive her rights and privileges from the program.
The deciding factor for Leticia is rooted from their sense of understanding and being aware of the Program’s policy.
“With the grace of God, we are able to step out from life’s challenges and elevate our lives,” Leticia passionately shared.
For Leticia, leaving the Program as a beneficiary after 12 years is not losing a privilege and opportunity, but rather a testament of their hard work and integrity driven with the true value of respect, understanding, and not to only depend on the help of the government. ### DSWD-CAR Social Marketing Unit – Marlo C. Abyado, Jr., 4Ps Information Officer
