Gaining Confidence Through Pantawid Pamilya

Lorena Sumangdan,38, grew up in the slums of Barangay Mambaling, Cebu City. She didn’t have many friends before except for a few neighbors because she felt that Sama-Bajaus like her are generally branded as society problem or second class citizens.

The Sama-Bajaus are traditionally from the many islands of the Sulu Archipelago in the Philippines (where they are grouped together with the Moro people), as well as parts of the coastal areas of Mindanao and northern Borneo. In the last 50 years, many of the Filipino Sama-Bajau have migrated to neighbouring Malaysia and the northern islands of the Philippines, due to the conflict in Mindanao.

In Cebu City, Barangay Mambaling has the most number of Sama-Badjau population with close to 1,600 as of 2011 statistics.

“I’m quite reserved in making friends before because I’m afraid of rejection and judgment. But when I became a grantee of Pantawid Pamilya in 2009 a lot of doors opened that eventually led me to meet and gain new friends,” shared Lorena, who is now working as a janitor in the newly opened SM City Seaside, which is only few steps away from her house in Sitio Nava.

She admitted that despite the perceived image of Sama-Bajaus as illiterate and dirty, Lorena was never ashamed that she is part of the tribe.

Lorena finished her high school education through Alternative Learning System last 2007. Optimistic to make her family’s life better she also enrolled in the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority mobile school that paved the way for her to take the house keeping short course and eventually earned a National Certificate of Competency.

She has two children James ,16, and Jeremia,8, who are beneficiaries of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, the conditional cash transfer of the Philippine government that invests in the health and education of poor children aged 0-18.

Lorena’s family is among the 158 regular household beneficiaries of Pantawid Pamilya in the said barangay.

As part of the Pantawid Pamilya conditionalities, Lorena or her husband Jaman are required to attend the monthly Family Development Session (FDS).

In the FDS, Lorena gained confidence to interact with more people.

FDS offers many topics that include but not limited to Family Planning, Responsible Parenthood and Gender Sensitivity, Active Citizenship, Violence Against Women and Children, among others.

Lorena is among the active parent leaders of Alaska, whenever we have meetings or gatherings she is always someone I rely into, said Pantawid Pamilya Indigenous People Focal person Julito Tajanlagit.

Meanwhile, Lorena narrated that it was during FDS where she learned the importance of hygiene and sanitation that is why she makes sure that her children would regularly take a bath.

The mother of two admitted that although she never experienced sleeping in the street, she was once a beggar.

Lorena and her husband who sells towels and pearls are hopeful that their children will have a better future with the help of Pantawid Pamilya.