BACOLOD CITY, (PNA) — She had to be both mother and father to her family.
She used to sell kakanins and ready-to-wear items every day in their barangay, not bothered by the intense heat of the sun and the physical fatigue because she had on her mind her children and her ailing husband.
This was the life of Rosemarie Aro Demafiles, 30, of Purok Langis, Barangay Banago in this city in 2011.
“My husband Patricio used to work as a traffic enforcer. He has been responsible in providing for the family. However, when he got sick, I was left at doing everything from putting food on the table to sending the children to school,” Rosemarie said.
The Demafiles couple have six children: John Patrick, 18; Jerome, 16; Jandel, 14; Jacob, 12; Joshua, 10; and Jeremie, 8.
Rosemarie said their situation has pushed John Patrick to stop studying.
Rosemarie’s fate, however, recently changed when she availed of the Sustainable Livelihood Program of the Dept. of Social Welfare and Development.
Duriza Oropesa, the project development officer assigned to their area, referred her to undergo the Sari-sari Store Training and Access to Resources (STAR) in partnership with Negros Economic Development Foundation, Coca-Cola Bottlers Philippines Inc., and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).
The SLP is DSWD’s way of sustaining gains already infused in the implementation of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program through Family Development Sessions, which they are required to attend.
Both Pantawid Pamilya and Sustainable Livelihood are programs under the Convergence Strategy, a scheme to ensure maximum results more than what each program could separately achieve.
“Salamat dahil nalinang ang aking kaisipan kung paano matuto ng maayos na pagnenegosyo na hindi na po malulugi. Nagkaroon ako ng disiplina sa sarili kung paano mag-budget at magplano ng tama,” Rosemarie said.
After the STAR training, she showed her certificate of attendance to Lopue’s Mandalagan store in Bacolod City and the management allowed her to open a credit line. She was allowed to get items worth P3,000.
With this, Rosemarie said she stopped selling kakanins and RTWs, and focused on her sari-sari store business.
“I applied what I learned in the STAR training in my sari-sari store. The first mission was to fill it with goods. And with help of the TESDA-Coke certificate, Lopue’s gave me the chance to have a credit line in their store,” she said.
Rosemarie said that she has learned many things during the training. These include marketing, keeping daily records, income and expense, managing credit, managing inventory, practicing good housekeeping and quality customer service, the essentials of merchandising and access to resources.
She shared that her husband Patricio is well now and is helping augment the family income through pedicab driving.
Their eldest son, John Patrick, is due to start his short-term course on wielding with TESDA in partnership with DSWD.
Before she availed of the livelihood training, Rosemarie’s children have been grantees of Pantawid Pamilya. The DSWD covered them with livelihood program to ensure that they can stand on their own when the five-year period of receiving cash grant is over.
Aside from being a beneficiary, Rosemarie said she also volunteered to become a Parent-Leader in their community. The Parent- Leader sees to it that the other beneficiaries of Pantawid Pamilya are complying with the conditions.
She said that the government has left her a legacy that she will never forget.
“I can articulate my ideas now. I also learned how to discipline myself,” Rosemarie said.