They say life-changing things happen when you least expect them.
Cebu resident Aileen Fernandez-Desamparado, 31, agrees to this.
She thought she would remain a fulltime housewife all her life. Due to financial constraints, her parents were not able to send her to college.
However, not only was she able to earn her college degree with flying colors 15 y
ears after high school, she also recently passed the Licensure Examination for Teachers.
She credits the fulfillment of her life-long dream to Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
“Kung hindi po sa tulong mula sa Pantawid Pamilya, ‘di ko po maaabot ang pangarap ko (If not because of the help we get from Pantawid Pamilya, I will not be able to pursue my dreams),” Aileen shared, a parent leader of Barangay Baod in Bantayan.
When the young Aileen was faced with the fact that she could not continue her college education, she decided to work instead. She eventually met her husband Abner, with whom she had two children namely Airen and Ann Jela.
After she got married, she became a housewife attending to the needs of her children and to her family’s small farm.
She continued doing so until her family became a beneficiary of Pantawid Pamilya, wherein her two children are part of.
She narrated that her enrollment in college was not totally planned. although she has always dreamed of it.
“I was accompanying my younger sister to enroll at Madridejos Community College (MCC) when I happened to ask the cashier if married women like me are allowed to enroll. When she answered yes, I informed my husband about it,” Aileen shared with a big smile.
Abner, who works as a sales agent, did not hesitate to support her wife’s dream.
Aileen, however, said that the financial grant her family is receiving from Pantawid Pamilya has greatly helped earn her college degree.
“Since we are receiving cash grants, Abner and I were able to save the money originally intended for the needs of our children. With the permission of my husband, I used our extra money to enroll in the community college,” Aileen enthused.
With her dedication and enthusiasm to learn, Aileen graduated as Magna Cum Laude at MCC in March 2015.
She eventually took review classes before taking the licensure examination for teachers.
In these crucial times, Abner continued to be a supportive husband. He performed all household chores so that Aileen can focus on her studies.
“Ang pangarap po niya ay pangarap ko rin. Patuloy ko siyang suportahan dahil ang pagtatapos niya ay isang karangalan para sa aming pamilya at para na rin sa kinabukasan ng aming mga anak (Her dream is also my dream. I will continue to support her because her achievement is a pride for our family and, and it is for our children’s future),” Abner said.
At present, Aileen is enrolled in a vocational course to add to her credentials, while waiting for the February 2016 teachers ranking.
She looks forward to teach in a public school someday.
“I hope the program will be sustained because there are other struggling families who need it,” Aileen stressed.
Pantawid Pamilya is a human development program that invests in the health and education of poor families, primarily those with children aged 0-18. It provides monthly cash grants to beneficiaries who comply with the conditions of sending their children to school, bringing them to health centers, and attending the Family Development Sessions (FDS).
Aileen’s family is among the 250,431 active partner-beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilya in Central Visayas.