Hope is often the first step toward transformation. It gives people the courage to face life’s challenges, the resilience to keep going despite setbacks, and the confidence to believe that a better tomorrow is possible. Even in the darkest moments, hope can open doors to new opportunities, healing, and a fresh start. When paired with determination and the right support, it becomes a powerful force that changes lives.
Jenevive Batnag, a resident of Barangay Pingad in Sabangan, Mountain Province, and a beneficiary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development Field Office Cordillera Administrative Region (DSWD FO CAR) Pag-abot Program, is living proof that hope can lead to change. It became the light that guided her through years of hardship, homelessness, and mental health challenges.
What once seemed like an uncertain future gradually turned into a journey of healing, renewed purpose, and the opportunity to rebuild her life with dignity. Jenevive’s story has become an inspiration to her family and neighbors. Despite the many challenges she endured, she remained steadfast in her determination to create a better future for her loved ones.
The path toward rebuilding her life was far from easy, as Jenevive, a mother of two, first had to endure years of financial hardship and uncertainty while providing for her family. Jenevive worked as a part-time vegetable washer at the Trading Post in La Trinidad, Benguet, earning approximately PHP 2,100.00 per month. Her husband, on the other hand, worked as a carpenter, earning around PHP 8,400.00 monthly. Even with their incomes combined, they struggled to meet their daily needs, including food, utilities, and other basic household expenses. Their situation became even more difficult when the COVID-19 pandemic struck. Business closures and transportation restrictions resulted in the loss of their primary sources of income, forcing the family to return to their hometown in Sabangan, Mountain Province.
Although they had returned home from the streets of Baguio City, Jenevive’s battle with homelessness continued. For eight years, she experienced recurring episodes of depression brought about by her mental health condition, which led to her often leaving home and living on the streets for extended periods.
Living with a diagnosed schizophrenic disorder and a history of depression, Jenevive faced daily challenges that affected not only her well-being but also the stability of her family. During episodes of her illness, she would leave home unexpectedly, sometimes traveling as far as the municipality of Atok, Benguet, before concerned individuals or authorities helped bring her back to her family. Her condition made it difficult to maintain stable employment and limited her ability to contribute consistently to the household’s income. At the same time, the cost of her regular maintenance medication placed an additional financial burden on the family, making it even more challenging to meet their basic needs while ensuring she received the care and treatment she required.
After years of hardship, Jenevive’s life began to change in October 2024 when the Pag-abot Program learned about her situation and immediately conducted an outreach intervention. Through the dedicated efforts of the program’s social workers, Jenevive was provided with psychosocial support and case management services that allowed her to express her desire to rebuild her life and leave the streets behind.
The Pag-abot Program, an initiative of the DSWD, is designed to reach and assist individuals and families in street situations by providing comprehensive interventions that promote recovery, social reintegration, and self-sufficiency.
Recognizing Jenevive’s willingness to rebuild her life, the program extended financial assistance amounting to 10,000.00 to help address her immediate needs and support her and her family’s journey toward recovery. As part of its commitment to helping beneficiaries achieve sustainable livelihoods and long-term stability, the program also provided her with livelihood assistance worth PHP 80,000.00.
This assistance enabled Jenevive to establish income-generating projects, including hog raising and vegetable vending. While vegetable vending proved less sustainable due to limited supply, hog raising became a more viable and profitable source of income, allowing her to focus on expanding the business and strengthening her family’s financial security.
Jenevive also received support from the Sabangan Office of the Municipal Agriculture (OMAG), which facilitated direct market linkages through the Katuwang sa Diwa at Gawa para sa Masaganang Ani at Mataas na Kita (KADIWA) Program of the Department of Agriculture (DA). These collaborative efforts equipped her with technical knowledge, market access, and opportunities to further strengthen and sustain her livelihood.
Beyond economic recovery, Jenevive has also made remarkable progress in managing her health. Despite being diagnosed with Schizoaffective Disorder, she has consistently demonstrated resilience and commitment to her recovery. She has become more responsible in fulfilling her role as a mother while diligently managing her livelihood project.
As Jenevive reflected on the long and difficult journey that led her from years of living on the streets to rebuilding a life filled with hope and stability, memories of her darkest experiences remained vivid. Recalling those challenging times, she shared the ordeal that left the deepest mark on her life: “Yung dumating po yung sakit ko, yun po, mamamalagi po ako sa kalsada, dun na ako natutulog, mahirap po. Mag-isa ko lang, hinahanap ako ng asawa ko. Tapos may mga pulis, kinuha ako, pumunta kami sa precinto, kinontact yung asawa ko, kinuha ako tapos umuwi na kami dito sa Pingad. Nung namamalagi ako sa kalsada, ang sabi nila naninigaw daw ako, naglalakad kahit hating gabi na, halos one week po. Hindi ako kumakain at umiinom ng tubig, hindi ko maramdaman yung uhaw. Depression po talaga kasi. Nawala po ako sa sarili ko. Hindi ako makatulog, tsaka wala pa akong iniinom na gamot noon.” (When my sickness started showing, I was always in the streets, I was sleeping there, it’s hard, I was alone. My husband kept looking for me then the police came along, took me to their precinct, called my husband then we went home to Pingad. When I was living in the streets, they said I shouted at people and I kept walking even though it was already midnight. I don’t eat or drink water because I cannot feel myself getting thirsty. It’s the depression. I was not myself.)”
Reflecting on the remarkable transformation of her life, Jenevive expressed deep gratitude for the Pag-abot Program, describing it as a blessing that gave her and her family the opportunity to start over. She shared that without the program’s timely intervention and unwavering support, she would not have achieved the stability and hope that she now enjoys: “Malaking tulong po ito dahil blessing po ito galling kay God, talagang pang pangkabuhayan. Mas maganda po ditto ngayon sa probinsya kaysa sa siyudad, kilala mo yung mga kapit-bahay mo ditto, doon hindi. Masaya po ako dahil may tulong akong natanggap. Hindi naming sasayangin ito. Sa Pag-abot program, ipagpatuloy niyo sa iba na katulad namin. Kaya salamat po sa Pag-abot Program na binigyan po ako ng pagkakataon na bigyan ng tulong para may pang hanap buhay at makatulong din ako sa pamilya ko.” (This is a huge help, a blessing from God and it truly provides a means of livelihood. Life here in the province is better than in the city; here, you know your neighbors, but there, you don’t. I am happy to have received this assistance. We will make the most of it and won’t let it go to waste. Please continue the Pag-abot Program for others like us. Thank you to the Pag-abot Program for giving me this opportunity to receive aid for a livelihood, allowing me to support my family.)”
Having regained stability and renewed confidence, Jenevive continues to embrace opportunities that allow her to grow, provide for her family, and strengthen her role within the community. Today, she continues to grow her hog-raising business and is intent to expand it and venture into pig breeding.
She actively participates in Christian fellowship activities with her mother and children, while also taking an active role in her children’s education by regularly attending Parent-Teacher Association meetings at their local school. Jenevive’s transformation reflects the impact of timely government intervention coupled with an individual’s determination to rebuild her life.
Jenevive’s journey demonstrates that with compassionate intervention, community support, and perseverance, even the most difficult circumstances can become the foundation for a new beginning. From surviving on the streets to becoming a livelihood beneficiary and an active member of her community, she now looks toward the future with renewed hope and confidence.
