4Ps beneficiary becomes a pilot, ‘now taking off’

After entering the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program or 4Ps in 2012, Carol Israel Esguerra's family is expected to soon leave the cash assistance scheme for the country's poorest of the poor.

According to Ian Cruz's report on "24 Oras", Esguerra is now a pilot.

"This is your captain taking off," he in a speech during the "graduation" of over 500 families from the conditional cash assistance program after becoming self-sufficient after several years.

His family is still in the program since two of his siblings are still in school. They are expected to voluntarily leave it soon when he starts earning from being an airplane pilot.

Esguerra recounted how he owed his education to 4Ps and the laws which gave him the chance to go to college and enter flight school.

Jean's family used to eat lugaw or rice porridge for their meals but now they could eat five, maybe even six times, a day.

"At talagang yung tulong ng programa at dagdagan din ng sipag at tiyaga naming mga magulang ay talagang hindi imposible na makakatawid ka sa kahirapan," said Jean, who family was one of those who graduated from the 4Ps on Monday.

That the beneficiaries have become self-sufficient and are leaving the 4Ps shows the success of the program.

"Kung may investment tayo... It's the kwenta and the graduation is the kwento. Ito talaga yung mga kwento ng ating mga beneficiaries kung paano sila nakaahon at kung paano makikita yung pagbabago sa kanilang pamumuhay especially in their economic situation," 4Ps national program director Gemma Gabuya said. —NB, GMA Integrated News