For Rochelle Buen, a member of the Calagan Indigenous Peoples (IP) group in Mati City, Davao Oriental, no physical hardship was ever too heavy as long as it brings her six children closer to a classroom.

Holding onto to her firm belief, Rochelle refused to let their background or economic status define what her family could achieve, believing that academic success was the ultimate key to transforming their future.

“Ang pinakamalaking pangarap ko sa buhay ay ang makita na makapagtapos ng pag-aaral ang lahat ng aking mga anak. Naniniwala akong ang edukasyon ang pinakamahalagang maipapamana ko sa kanila upang magkaroon sila ng mas magandang kinabukasan,” Rochelle emphasized.

Yet, holding onto that ambitious dream while relying solely on her husband’s irregular income from fishing and the meager income she earns hawking fish along the streets felt like fighting an uphill battle with no victory in sight.

For marginalized sectors like the IPs, limited livelihood opportunities create an environment of constant stress and anxiety where immediate survival needs threaten to derail their long-term aspirations.

The sheer weight of their financial reality often left her feeling helpless, wondering how an IP family living on the economic fringes could ever afford higher education.

“Maraming pagkakataon na nawawalan ako ng pag-asa at naiisip ko [na] baka hindi ko man lamang mapagtapos ng pag-aaral kahit isa sa aking mga anak dahil sa matinding kahirapan,” Rochelle shared.

The turning point came in 2011 when the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) finally reached their indigenous community.

Designed to support vulnerable and historically underserved sectors, the program provided a crucial lifeline that eased the constant panic over daily survival. By covering critical health and schooling expenses, 4Ps directly lifted the emotional and financial strain from Rochelle’s shoulders.

Through the program’s Family Development Sessions (FDS), she also gained practical tools in household budgeting and positive parenting, turning her initial anxiety into a structured plan for her children’s success.

The steady support paved the way for remarkable achievements that once felt entirely out of reach for the Buen family.

Today, two of Rochelle’s six children have already fulfilled her lifelong dream of graduating from college and getting employed in their chosen professions.

Rochelle’s son, Russel Jhon Buen, earned his Bachelor of Science (BS) in Criminology, passed the Licensure Examination for Criminologists, and now serves as a Custodial Officer at the Davao Penal Colony.

The eldest daughter, Danikka Grace Buen, completed her Bachelor of Secondary Education (BSEd) major in General Science, passed the Licensure Examination for Professional Teachers, and is currently educating young minds at Doña Rosa Memorial National High School under the Local School Board.

Looking back at her journey from a worried mother hawking fish at dawn into a proud parent of young professionals, Rochelle’s heart remains full of gratitude for the government intervention that helped restore her family’s hope and dignity.

“Malaki ang pasasalamat ko sa programang 4Ps dahil naging malaking tulong ito sa aming pamilya. Ang tulong pinansyal na aming natatanggap ay naging suporta sa gastusin sa pag-aaral at kalusugan ng aking mga anak. Dahil sa 4Ps, nabigyan kami ng pag-asa na maipagpatuloy ang pag-aaral ng aming mga anak kahit kapos kami sa buhay. Sa awa ng Diyos, dalawa na sa aking anim na anak ang nakapagtapos ng kolehiyo at ngayon ay may mga propesyon na,” Rochelle proudly said.

Rochelle’s story stands as a powerful testament to her IP community that when indigenous families are given the right support, the cycle of generational poverty can be broken, one child’s dream at a time.

The 4Ps is the national poverty reduction strategy and human capital investment program of the Philippine government implemented by the DSWD.

Mandated under Republic Act No. 11310 to break the intergenerational cycle of poverty, the program’s core services provide conditional health, nutrition, and education cash grants alongside the monthly FDS to eligible poor households, provided they comply with health and schooling requirements for their children. (KB)