Philippines represent!: Former 4Ps beneficiary to represent country at UN learning event in Luxembourg

A former Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) beneficiary will represent the Philippines at the prestigious Luxembourg Global Learning Event of the United Nations (UN) Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in March.

Hanelie Millamina-Lopez, who hails from Brgy. Canan, Pasacao, Camarines Norte, will be in Luxembourg from March 19 to 21 to begin her learning journey and broaden her advocacy for the rights of indigenous peoples (IPs), said Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Assistant Secretary of Strategic Communications and spokesperson Romel Lopez.

“Hanelie is an employee of our Bicol Region Field Office as Project Development Officer II and designated as the Regional Indigenous People Unit Focal,” he said in a statement on Thursday, Feb. 28.

“She was nominated and eventually chosen to be part of the UN learning activity because of her exemplary articulation and representation on IP rights during an Enhancing Resilient Communities Flagship Initiative in Tiwi, Albay last December 2023,” he added.

Millamina-Lopez cannot help but express her excitement about the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to represent the Philippines.

“I feel so excited as the event offers me a valuable platform to engage with international peers and effectively enhance my knowledge in working with Indigenous Peoples and other sectors we serve. It serves as a platform not only for learning but also for sharing valuable insights from my own experiences,” she told the DSWD.

As an IP focal person, Millamina-Lopez was able to focus on her advocacy for IP rights and inclusivity by gaining insights and experience from her current work in the DSWD at the regional level.

“Our goal is to uphold fairness, equity and inclusivity in our efforts. Also, I am to share experiences and promote the Indigenous Peoples Rights and Social Inclusivity, ensuring that no one is left behind in our mission to improve the lives of those we serve,” she added.

How 4Ps helped her get to where she is now

Millamina-Lopez attributed her modest life achievements to the 4Ps, which emphasize the importance of education.

Upholding the 4Ps principle that education is the best way to break the intergenerational cycle of poverty, she said she was determined to complete her education despite her financial circumstances.

Growing up, she witnessed her family’s struggle to make ends meet.

She said her father, Lauro, is a farmer, and her mother, Merlita, stays at home to look after her and her 10 siblings.

Millamina-Lopz said she and her siblings usually went to school without money to buy food.

They also walked several kilometers to school because they could not afford local transportation.

After finishing secondary school, she and her older brother decided to pause their education in order to supplement their family’s income.

Despite facing challenges, her faith and dream of a better life persisted, and in 2009, the Millamina family was chosen as a 4Ps beneficiary.

Millamina-Lopez clarified that becoming a beneficiary did not increase their family’s dependence on government aid.

Instead, she said it sparked their determination to return to school and find other ways to contribute to their family’s livelihood.

Later, in 2011, she was enrolled at Bicol University as an Expanded Students Grants-in-Aid Program for Poverty Alleviation (ESGPPA) scholar.

The ESGPPA is an educational grant implemented by the Commission on Higher Education, together with the DSWD, Department of Labor and Employment, and state universities and colleges, to prioritize the college education of 4Ps household-beneficiaries.

To augment her allowance while studying, she sold peanuts, yema, cosmetics, and other personal hygiene products to her classmates and teachers.

Some people also helped her and opened their homes while she was studying away from home.

In 2015, she completed her AB Sociology degree and earned Latin honors. It was also then that the DSWD Field Office-5 hired her.

She said the job opportunity provided by the DSWD-Bicol Office has enabled her to assist her family and support the education of her younger siblings.

It also paved the way for their household’s “graduation” from 4Ps in 2017.