Negrense valedictorian rode a carabao to school

SAGAY CITY, Negros Occidental – Where can your dreams take you?

For Arlyn Martinez, a 17-year-old daughter of a sacada or sugar cane worker, her dreams and determination propelled her to the top of her high school class. She graduated valedictorian in Sagay National High School, besting 832 other graduates, despite the many hardships she went through.

Every day, Martinez walked for an hour or rode a carabao borrowed by her father to get to the main road since her family lives in a remote village. She then takes a tricycle to reach the public high school.

But Martinez has never been ashamed of her family’s situation. She’s proud to be a sacada’s daughter.

“Bilang karga tapas sa tubuhan, tinitiis ng aking ama ang bigat ng trabaho pero kinakaya niya, at sa gabi ay nag-aararo pa para lang matugunan ang aming mga pangangailangan,” Martinez said. (As a `karga tapas’ in the sugarcane field, my father endures gruelling manual labor, but he plows the farm even at night to sustain the whole family’s needs.)

While her parents only finished elementary education, they pushed Martinez to reach for her dreams.

Help from the government

Martinez’ family is a recipient of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), a human development program that invests in the health and education of poor families, primarily those with children aged 0-18.

A project of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), 4Ps provides cash grants to partner-beneficiaries who comply with the conditions of sending their children to school, bringing them to health centers for checkups, and attending the monthly Family Development Sessions. (READ: World Bank gives CCT thumbs up)

Martinez and her 2 siblings are covered by the program. She receives P500 cash grants while her 2 siblings get P300 each.

She noted that the allowance she got helped them meet their daily expenses for school supplies, allowance, and uniform.

Social Welfare Secretary Dinky Soliman recognized Martinez’ achievement, thanking her for making good use of the government’s assistance.

“Those who graduated from high school this year, others even graduating with honors, have proven that poverty is not a hindrance towards achieving success,” Soliman said.

One step closer

Martinez’ dream does not end at her high school guaduation. She wants to be an engineer or a teacher so she can uplift her family’s condition.

“Gaya ng pangako ko sa aking sarili, susuklian ko ang mga sakripisyo ng aking ama. Kaya po ako ay nag-aral ng mabuti,” she said. (I promised myself that I will repay my father’s sacrifices. This is why I studied hard.)

She promised that when she gets her first salary, she will buy a carabao for her father so he could finally own one.

“Despite poverty, we should not lose hope. Let us keep on dreaming and continue working hard because it will definitely pay off in the end,” Martinez said during her graduation speech. – Rappler.com 

A version of this story first appeared on the DSWD site.