An education at last

CEBU, Philippines - They say you can’t teach old dogs new trick, but this is not the case of 40-year old Sifrina Eladio of Barangay Carol-an, Ayungon Negros Oriental. Poverty was the reason why Sifrina only reached second grade.

She was good at math and she knows that if given the chance, she’ll be one of the best in class. But due to her parents’ dictates that she helps in the fields and put food on the table, her dream has slipped her fingers.

Married to a hard-working farmer named Federico, whose story is no different from Sifrina, together they promise to give their four children ages 17, 16, 14 and 1-year old the opportunity of education that was lost to them.

Working the fields under the scorching sun or pelting rain was no joke and putting food on her children’s empty stomach was still the number one priority. “Kadtong adlaw nga gi-ingnan mi nga apil mi sa 4Ps sa goberyno, ako nauntang ingnon akong anak nga paundangon usa ug eskwela apan mayo kayo ang Gino okay wala gyud ko niya tugoti” (The day they told us that our family became part of the government’s 4Ps project was the day that I was about to ask my eldest son to stop schooling for a while but God did not allow it to happen), said Sifrina.

“Sa hinabang sa 4Ps naka enroll akong tanan anak pag sugod sa klase, ug karon na-a na koy mu graduate sa high-school” (With the assistance of 4Ps, I was able to enroll all my children when school opened, and now my son is about to graduate high-school) said the proud mother.

She further adds, “Ug ang pinakadakong milagro mau ang paghatag sa 4Ps ug DepEd naku sa oportunidad na maka eskwela ug balik. Sa dihang community assembly ni isplikar ang DepEd nga libre ko mu eskwela ug balik pinaagi sa A.L.S na programa ug among ML sa importansya sa edukasyon aron dili na ko thumbmark wala gyud ko magduha-duha ug eskwela ug balik” (The biggest miracle was when 4Ps together with DepEd gave me the opportunity to go back to school. When DepEd representative said that I can still go back to school for free through the ALS program and our ML explained the importance of education so I don’t have to use my thumb mark for signature anymore in the bank).

DSWD’s Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) is a poverty alleviation project of the Philippine government whose short term objective is to provide social assistance to the poor to alleviate their immediate needs while its long term goal is to break the intergenerational cycle of poverty through investment in human capital i.e., education, health and nutrition.

 The program provides conditional cash grants to eligible households amounting to P500 a month for health and nutrition and P300 a month per child up to a maximum of three children only per household.

As their co-responsibilities, the beneficiaries are to comply with the program’s set conditions includes (1) pregnant women must get pre- and post-natal care; attended by skilled health professional during childbirth (2) children 0-5 Years of age should get regular preventive health check-ups and vaccines (3) children 3-5 years must attend day care/pre-school classes at least 85% of the time (4) children 6-14 years must attend elementary or high school at least 85% of the time (5) should receive de-worming pills twice a year (6) parents or guardians must attend responsible parenthood sessions, parent effectiveness seminars, family development session and community assemblies.

 It is during these assemblies that the parents too get educated on the value of education, their rights as women as well as that of their children, therefore when DepEd introduced the Alternative Learning System (ALS) opportunity to them, it was not a surprise that Sifrina at the age of 40 grabbed the opportunity.

After half a semester, Sifrina can proudly write her name with confidence. “Tungod sa 4Ps nahigmata ko nga di pa gyud awahi ang tanan ug karon akong gyung nabati nga gipasigarbo ko sa akong bana ug mga anak” (Through 4Ps I was awakened to the fact that its never too late, and now I can really feel that my husband and children are proud of what I have accomplished), said.

Yes, we might not be able to teach old dog’s new trick but this should not stop us from giving old dreams, new hope.  (FREEMAN NEWS)