The Department of Social Welfare and Development on Monday reported that a Bajau youth, who was a former monitored child of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), is now the pride of the indigenous people's community in Bato, Leyte.

This is after Jeraldyn Bansale finished her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA) degree in 2022 from the Bato Institute of Science and Technology in Leyte.

The DSWD said that Jeraldyn has proven that completing education among poor indigenous peoples of the Bajau community is possible with perseverance and determination.

Despite the financial constraints and challenges her family faced, Jeraldyn saw education as the key to breaking the cycle of poverty and providing a brighter future for herself and her loved ones.

"Dahil din sa kahirapan na aming nararanasan ay pinili kung magsumikap at tapusin ang aking pag-aaral para matulungan ko ang aking mga magulang. Upang matulungan din ang aking mga kapatid sa kanilang pangangailangan lalong-lalo na sa kanilang pag-aaral(Due to the poverty that we are experiencing, I chose to strive and complete my education to help my parents. Also, to assist my siblings in their needs, especially in their education.)," Jeraldyn shared.

In finishing her education, Jeraldyn said the DSWD's 4Ps program was a significant factor for her family since she was able to use the cash grants to meet her school requirements, transportation expenses, and other needs.

The Bansale family became a 4Ps beneficiary in 2014.

Jeraldyn also shared that attending Family Development Sessions (FDS) provided her family with valuable insights.

FDS is a significant feature of the 4Ps program as it employs neighborhood-based family psycho-educational activities to promote, empower, and nurture beneficiaries toward strengthened capacity so they can meet their familial and parental responsibilities as well as participate in community development activities.

Moreover, through the FDS, the 4Ps parent-beneficiaries are provided with life skills, including livelihood skills training.

"Marami ding natutunan ang aking pamilya sa iba't ibang topics sa Family Development Sessions(My family learned a lot from the topics in the Family Development Sessions.)," Jeraldyn said, emphasizing the importance of education and finishing school.

"Natutunan din ng aking pamilya ang kahalagahan ng pag-iimpok/saving, pagbudget at pagpapahalaga sa pera, kaya kahit na maliit lamang ang kita ng aking mga magulang pinagkakasya para sa aming mga pangunahing pangangailangan, (My family also learned the importance of saving, budgeting, and the value of money. So, even with my parents' modest income, they manage to provide for our basic needs.)" Jeraldyn added.

Now, as a proud college graduate, Jeraldyn is on a mission to pay it forward. Her dream is not only to secure a job for herself but also to pave the way for her siblings to follow in her footsteps.

According to DSWD Assistant Secretary for Legislative Affairs and co-spokesperson Irene B. Dumlao, the DSWD remains committed to helping marginalized families, especially Indigenous Peoples, by delivering programs and services such as the 4Ps that will help uplift their lives.

"The DSWD is providing all the needed assistance to help our kababayans from the indigenous peoples' sector by providing necessary interventions that will enable them to become empowered and productive citizens, with the prime consideration of their culture and heritage," Dumlao, who is also the DSWD data protection officer, said.

The 4Ps is the flagship program of the national government on poverty reduction and social development implemented by the DSWD.

With around 4.4 million household beneficiaries, the 4Ps program provides conditional financial assistance to the most economically challenged families, fostering improvements in health, nutrition, and education.

Of the total household beneficiaries, 116,521 are indigenous peoples, with 87,124 households coming from Mindanao; 25,491 from Luzon; and 3,906 from Visayas as of September 30, 2023.