Innocent she may seem, but she understands fully how it is to be of help to her mother who is a single parent to four children. Jovelle is among the 106 school-aged children who evacuated to Kapangian Central Elementary in Tacloban City. Noticeably, she is a disciplined child as she remains inside the classroom where they temporarily stay with her one-year old brother, Kirby.
Jovelle, whose family is a partner-beneficiary of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (Pantawid Pamilya), related her horrifying experience during the typhoon. “Han pagbagyo, nahadlok ako, pero waray ak magtangis. Kinadto kami ha 3rd floor. Pagkanhi namon ha evacuation center, abot ha tuhod an tubig. Yana, mabulig ak paghamis. Mag-study liwat ako ngan magmumulay kami ni ate,” she tells this writer.. (I was afraid; I did not cry during the typhoon. When we arrived at the evacuation center, the flood was already knee-level. A few minutes after the water has risen, we were prompted to go up to the 3rd floor of the building. Now that the typhoon is over, I will help my family do the cleaning in the evacuation center. I will also study my lessons and have some time to play.)
Despite the difficulty of her situation due to the wrath of typhoon “Yolanda”, she is hopeful that she can still go back to school. She believes that Pantawid Pamilya is her hope to achieve her dream in life, that is, to become a teacher someday.
Her mother, Marilou, 36, is an active member of the Pantawid Pamilya who religiously complies with the conditions of the program. According to her, the lessons she gained from the program helped her deal with the family’s shortcomings . Marilou mentioned that as a mother, her topmost concern is her children’s daily needs and sending them to school.