It was dinner time but Aling Cristeta and her family were not gathered around a table to feast on a delicious and hearty meal. Instead, they were just about to sleep with empty stomachs.
The Silent Voice of an Aching Mother
To 48 year-old Cristeta Austria, her four daughters are everything. Likewise, she is the best mother through the eyes of her children. But no matter how much you want to give everything to the ones you love, there will always be a series of hurdles to keep you from doing it. For Aling Cristeta, that hurdle is called poverty.
Aling Cristeta and her family lives in Pola, a 3rd class municipality in Oriental Mindoro where majority of the local workforce depends on agriculture as a main source of income. Her family relies on the income of the pillar of the home or haligi ng tahanan who works as a tricycle driver. Yes. More or less three hundred pesos a day to support a family of six. Every single day, Aling Cristeta finds it difficult and even impossible to divide the money just to make ends meet. There were nights when they had to skip meals to save the money for school requirements of the children. “Ang bigat sa loob na makita ang aking mga anak na nagugutom tapos wala akong magawa,” cried Aling Cristeta as she recalls the lowest point in her life. “Yung tricycle na pinapasada ng asawa ko ay hindi naman sa amin. Hinihiram lang niya ‘yun. Kaya talagang hindi naiiwasan na mawalan siya ng trabaho pag hindi niya nahihiram. Apektado ang buong pamilya dahil wala kaming pambili ng ulam. Tiis-tiis lang sabi ko sa mga anak ko. Wala kaming makain talaga,” she added.
The Will to Change
Aling Cristeta cannot forget when the opportunity to change their situation knocked on her door. DSWD came 2008. She was selected as one of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) beneficiaries in the municipality. She didn’t know exactly what it means. All she knew was a financial assistance came from the government.
Through the series of orientation, she was able to understand the objectives of the program particularly its commitment in eradicating extreme poverty and hunger and promoting gender equality. She was able to help her husband support the family. She had the money allotted for her children’s school requirements and other immediate needs. Years after, Aling Cristeta availed another DSWD service, the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) in 2012. “Bumisita ulit ang DSWD sa bayan namin. Sabi nila meron daw panibagong project. Ito nga ang SLP. Natuwa ako kasi panibagong oportunidad ito sa tulad kong mahirap,” she narrated.
SLP targets poor, vulnerable, and marginalized families and engages them in thriving livelihoods. “Sabi sa SLP, yung programa daw nila ang magbibigay ng puhunan na makakatulong upang makapagsimula ng negosyo. Naengganyo ako na sumali sa SLP dahil sabi ko sa sarili ko na ito na yung daan para makaahon kami sa hirap,” said Aling Cristeta.
Through the Self-Employment-Kaunlaran (SEA-K) Program, Aling Cristeta joined the association interested to venture in hog raising and received a capital assistance worth 10,000 pesos. “Bale 20 kami sa association noon. Noong sinabi nila na meron daw pagbababuyan sa program, naging interesado ako. Binigyan ako ng 10,000 [pesos] ng DSWD at ‘yun ‘yung ginamit ko na pambili ng dalawang baboy at pakain,” she narrated.
Aling Cristeta is now into entrepreneurial undertakings. She attended a series of technical assistance trainings organized by DSWD and its partner agencies to enrich her knowledge and skills to effectively manage her microenterprise. “Pagkalipas ng tatlong buwan, naipagbili ko na ‘yung dalawang baboy at tuwang tuwa ako na sa wakas kikita na ako. Noong hawak ko na yung perang napagbentahan ng baboy, sabi ko sa sarili ko na hindi ko ito uubusin. Katulad ng natutunan ko sa training sa hog raising, ang ginawa ko bumili ulit ako ng panibagong mga baboy na aalagaan para tuloy-tuloy ang kita,” she said hearing a smile in the tone of her voice.
Hard Work Pays Off
“Noong nakita ko na kaya ko na tumayo sa sarili kong paa, nag-waive na ako sa 4Ps. Sabi ko sa sarili ko na hayaan naman na may ibang mas mahihirap ang matulungan ng programa,” said Aling Cristeta.
Through SLP, she was able to venture into other microenterprises: distribution of frozen goods and poultry raising. “Bukod sa pagbababuyan, nakapagtayo na rin ako ng maliit na negosyo na poultry raising at frozen goods. Nagsimula ako sa 50 piraso na manok at ngayon ay 100 na ang aking inaalagaan,” she said. Starting a business is one thing and how to actually make it is another thing. Aling Cristeta has proven that she can manage both. She also shared how the program helped her children. She narrated, “Hindi lang ako sa aming pamilya ang natulungan ng SLP kundi pati na rin ang aking tatlong anak na sumali sa skills training na electronics. ‘Yung isa ko namang anak nagsabi sa’kin na mag-e-enroll daw siya sa pagtitinda ng frozen goods.” Aling Cristeta showed her support to her daughter, “Sabi ko sa kanya na kaya niya iyon at huwag siyang susuko. Ngayon ay na-destino siya sa Laguna at nakakapagbigay ng hindi bababa sa 1000 pesos kada buwan.”
Truly, she is now a successful entrepreneur, wife, and mother. Reaping the fruit of her labor did not happen overnight. It was something that took a while to take place. She recalled, “Dati ultimo maliit na bagay hindi ko maibigay sa pamilya ko. Wala silang makain tapos wala ding pambili ng gamit sa eskwelahan.” Through the course of the program, the series of skills training combined with persistence made way to her dream of becoming financially capable. “Hanggang ngayon, lahat ng natutunan ko sa SLP ay dala-dala ko parin,” Aling Cristeta proudly said. After waiving from 4Ps, she is now fully committed to her microenterprises.
Aling Cristeta leaves an inspiring message, “Para sa katulad ko na nangarap maiahon sa kahirapan ang pamilya, ‘wag kayong susuko. Patuloy kayong magtiyaga at ‘wag mawalan ng pag-asa. Samahan niyo palagi ng determinasyon ang inyong mga pangarap upang makamit ninyo ang inaasam na tagumpay.”
