In the city of General Santos, a woman moves with quiet determination through the narrow community of Barangay Katanggawan. With a logbook in one hand and a genuine smile on her face, Eden Joy Mondragon, 27, a DSWD12 social worker is more than just a government worker. She is a living proof that the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) can change lives in lasting ways.

“My mother used to be one of you,” Eden says, nodding toward a group of Pantawid beneficiaries during their Family Development Session (FDS). “Back then, we didn’t have much — but we had hope.”

Eden together with her sibling Jessa, grew up in a low-income community in Barangay Lagao. Their parents, Mrs. Esther and Mr. Romeo Mondragon both worked as a vendor. To sustain the needs of their four children, Eden took side-hustle jobs to meet their needs.

When the 4Ps program identified its beneficiaries in 2012, their family was enlisted. It was a turning point for them who barely met ends.

“The cash grants helped us keep going, but more than that, it was the encouragement I got from my mother who always reminded me, “Anak, gamitin mo ito sa pagaaral para makaahon tayo,’” Eden recalls.

Years later, she got her degree and eventually passed the Social Work Licensure Exam in 2018.

She was then accepted as a 4Ps City Link — one of the frontliners who implement the program in urban areas. Today, she manages hundreds of household beneficiaries, facilitating FDS, doing home visits, and linking families to government services.

Meanwhile, her younger sister, Jessa, who graduated Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education, was recently hired as a Social Welfare Assistant in the pioneering workforce of DSWD XII’s TARA Basa! Tutoring Program, a reformatted educational assistance of the department.

“It was both an honor and a privilege,” Jessa says with pride.

Their story has become a source of inspiration for many children in the communities they serve. They often tell them: “Don’t let poverty define you. Let it fuel your dreams.”

The Mondragon sisters are indeed the true success of 4Ps – to raise a generation that overcomes poverty. They are testaments that when support and determination meet, opportunities will follow.

Since 2009, the 4Ps program has helped 11,000 children grantees to get their degree and land their dream jobs.

“Some are now public teachers, doctors and accountants who are now giving back to their families,” says Naifah S. Balindong, the regional program coordinator of 4Ps.

“We are now witnessing the fruits of a program that began 16 years ago. Our hope is to uncover more inspiring stories and truly capture the essence of what this program stands for,” Balindong added.