The Dacyon family of Barangay Upper Uma, Lubuagan was one of the poor households in Kalinga province that benefitted from the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s DSWD) Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).
Rosabelle Dacyon, a former 4Ps monitored child and the youngest in the family, can still remember vividly that it was June 2, 2009 when their family became a program beneficiary.
She was in Grade 3 at that time and her family was experiencing untold hardships.
In an interview with the DSWD’s #Kwento ng Pag-asa at Pagbabago (#KPAP) team, Rosabelle narrated: “Ang buhay po namin nung wala pa po yung 4Ps ay sobrang hirap kasi lagi akong naiiwan dito sa bahay namin para magtrabaho yung nanay ko para may pambili ng papel kasi nong wala pa yung 4Ps isa lang yung papel ko tapos tinitipid ko po.”
Maria Afichao, Rosabelle’s mother, also told the #KPAP team that life was indeed difficult during those times.
A young widower with five children, she decided to remarry as she found solo parenting quite challenging. Rosabelle is her youngest child with her second husband, Rafael.
“Kaya hindi nakapagtapos ng pag-aaral yung anak kong lima, kasi mag-isa lang akong nagtatrabaho, father and mother yung trabaho ko. Nung nag-asawa ulit ako kasi balo ako ipinanganak ko itong bunso namin,” Maria Afichao explained.
According to Rafael, they took all kinds of jobs just so they can provide food on the table and buy school materials for Rosabelle. They also resorted to broom-making and coffee drying as well as taking odd jobs just to make ends meet.
Their struggles went on until they experienced their first breakthrough as a 4Ps household beneficiary.
Majority of the cash grants they received were allocated for the education of Rosabelle. For Maria Afichao and Rafael, education was the only inheritance they could give her.
Maria Afichao narrated: ”Noong dumating yung 4P’s noong June 2009 napabilang kami. Mapalad kami at sobrang saya namin na isa sa mga napabilang [sa program]. May pambili na kami ng kakailanganin at hanggang ngayon na nakapagtapos na siya ng highschool at college malaking tulong ang 4P’s sa amin.”
Smart and studious, Rosabelle successfully finished her elementary and high school education. After which, Rosabelle worked in different establishments and received scholarships from their barangay and the local government of Kalinga to finish her college education.
Significantly, Rosabelle did not just graduate. She did it with much aplomb, as in her 4th year in college, her school informed her of an opportunity for a job-employment internship abroad.
Courageous and dedicated, Rosabelle processed all the requirements while studying.
Rosabelle happily shared to the #KPAP team: “Tapos nung nag-graduate na po napili po akong makapunta sa Thailand dahil naka graduate na ako at mataas po yung grade ko. Dahil sa 4P’s sobrang saya ko po kasi hindi po lahat makukuha, hindi sila mabibigyan ng opportunity.”
The former 4Ps monitored child stayed in Thailand for six months and came back in February 2025.
Also noteworthy was the transformation of Maria Afichao, who as a parent leader, led her fellow beneficiaries in implementing projects beneficial to their community. The mother and housewife became an able leader, empowered as a result of the 4Ps’ monthly family development sessions (FDS).
“Bilang parent leader, sinimulan ko sa mga may miyembro ng 4Ps talaga ang paglilinis sa paaralan, sa mga kalsada at daanan at pagpapahalaga sa kalusugan. Itong pag papakulong namin sa mga baboy ang isa sa pinaka magandang nagawa namin dito sa barangay para sa kalusugan,” Maria Afichao proudly shared.
For the Dacyon family, the 4Ps was instumental in making them experience some of the major “firsts” as a family and as individuals.
The family’s first college graduate, Roselle’s first trip abroad, Maria Afichao’s first community leadership role were their first breakthroughs in life.
“Nung dumating ang 4Ps naging magaan na kasi may katuwang sa pag-papaaral. Sobrang kaginhawaan kasi dahil dito may nakapagtapos sa mga anak namin,” Rafael pointed out.
Grateful and equipped with the values gained from her experiences, her studies, her parents and through the 4Ps, Rosabelle has now set her goal in finding a job and giving back to her parents.
“Salamat po sa 4Ps kasi nakapag-aral ako at malaki ang naitulong niya sa akin at kung wala yung 4P’s hindi din po ako makakalabas sa ibang bansa. Gusto ko din pong sabihin sa mga magulang ko dahil napagtapos din nila ako ng pag-aaral is pasasalamat ko sa kanila dahil sobrang sakripisyo nila. Kapag may trabaho na po ako is ibibigay ko po lahat ng pangangailangan lahat ng hindi nila naranasan noon,” Rosabelle tearfully said.
According to Ophelia Grace Addom, Municipal Social Welfare Officer of Lubuagan, the Dacyon family was just one of those helped by the DSWD through the 4Ps.
Addom said many families now have a number of graduates through the program. Moreover, the 4Ps has empowered many mothers with leadership and livelihood skills which resulted in an increase in their income.
The 4Ps, which was launched in 2008 and institutionalized in 2019 through Republic Act No. 11310 or the 4Ps Act, provides cash grants to more than 4 million households whose children are given subsidies to finish elementary and senior high school and supported with health and nutrition grants.
The #KPAP, the DSWD’s award winning online documentary, is a joint production of the Traditional Media Service (TMS) and the Digital Media Service (DMS) which are under the Strategic Communications. It is posted every Tuesday on the DSWD’s official Facebook page.