Guiuan, Eastern Samar – “Paglaki ko gusto ko pong maging Accountant, tapos pag maayos na po ang kinikita ko, bibigyan ko sila Mama at Papa ng magandang bahay. Kaya ngayon po, talagang ginagalingan ko sa pag-aaral dahil yun ang paraan para makamit ko ang aking pangarap (I want to be an Accountant someday, that’s why I am studying hard because I believe that education is the key for me to reach that ambition. And when that happens, I’ll buy my parents a house),” said Rena Jean Alamida, 13, who has a penchant for solving difficult numerical problems and equations.
Just this March, at the end of the school year, she received a gold medal for being the 2nd Honor in her class. She was also given ribbons for other citations and awards.
Rena is second among the brood of three of the Alamida family. Her family is one of the beneficiaries of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program in this town. Pantawid Pamilya provides cash grants of as much as P1,400 to households with three qualified children provided they comply to program conditionalities of sending them to school and health centers for check up, and attending the monthly Family Development Sessions. It is implemented by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
Rena feels grateful for being a beneficiary of Pantawid Pamilya. According to her, the cash grant that her family receives is a big help to augment their needs, especially their school needs.
“Pag natatanggap na ni Mama yung cash grant, bina-budget niya ‘yun agad para sa mga pangangailangan namin, lalo na para sa mga gamit pang-eskwela. Pambayad din sa mga contributions at pambili ng mga masusutansiyang pagkain (Whenever Mama receives the cash grants, she allots it for our school needs, school contributions, and healthy and nutritious food),” Rena shared.
Her mother, Amalia, is a housewife while her father, Bertino, is a fisherman.
They may not have an opulent life, but Rena’s family could still meet their daily basic needs and still have some savings.
But not until that fateful day when Typhoon Yolanda hit their town and changed their lives.
Surviving ‘Yolanda’
This town is one of the municipalities in Eastern Visayas that was highly devastated by ‘Yolanda.’ Rena’s family is one of the thousands of families who bore the wrath of ‘Yolanda”.
Like their fellow Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries, the Alamida family also lost their home. Now, they live at the tent city built at the compound of the Eastern Samar State University.
Despite the tragic event, Rena’s family continues to live with the relief goods that they receive from the DSWD and other organizations.
“ ‘Nung kalakasan ng bagyo, hindi namin alam kung mabubuhay pa ba kami. Basta magkakasama lang kaming pamilya, magkakahawak ang kamay at nagdarasal (When the typhoon came, we were not sure if we’ll come out alive. But we made sure that we were together. We held hands and prayed),” she recalled.
“Laking pasalamat namin kasi nakaligtas kami, at ngayon patuloy na nakikipagsapalaran. Unti-unti kaming babangon, lalo na at maraming nagbibigay sa amin ng pag-asa at lakas na tumayo uli (We’re so thankful that we survived. We will continue living because there are many people helping us, giving us the strength to stand up and just go on with life),” she said.
True enough, ‘Yolanda’ may have destroyed the Alamida’s abode and wrecked the family’s source of livelihood, but it surely did not kill the family’s spirit.
Life goes on
Instead, the typhoon made the family stronger. Their faith and courage are indomitable.
Even Rena’s enthusiasm to finish school with flying colors has doubled.
Every night before going to bed, armed only with a solar-powered lamp, Rena reviewed her notes. She read her books, especially Mathematics, which she only borrowed from her teacher, to gear herself for the next day’s lesson. She reaped the fruits of her diligence when she topped her class.
Her father also began working for the Cash- for- Work (CFW) of the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
Though they do not know when they can fully go back to their normal lives, Rena’s family is optimistic that this is not far behind.
They know that they should continue to be hopeful especially that there are many people who are ready to lend a helping hand.
“Nagpapasalamat po kami sa DSWD sa walang sawa nilang pagtulong sa amin. Hanggang ngayon, hindi kami iniiwanan. Salamat lalo na sa Pantawid Pamilya, makakaasa kayo na mas pagbubutihin ko pa ang aking pag-aaral, para mas may magandang umaga na naghihintay sa aking pamilya (We are very grateful to DSWD for their unwavering service, especially that we became beneficiaries of Pantawid Pamilya. Things like this motivate me to always do better in class so that I and my family can have a brighter tomorrow),”
Rena said as she beamed reflecting that no disaster can ever ruin a young girl’s dream. ###