By Cindy Ferrer/PNA
ILOILO CITY — A child beneficiary of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) from Santa Barbara, Iloilo won in the recently concluded 2018 Search for Exemplary Pantawid Pamilya Children held by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
Fourteen-year-old Kaitlinn Cayne Lubrico, who represented Western Visayas, bagged the first runner-up award during the Dec. 1 Araw ng Kabataan held at the SM City North EDSA Skydome, said Montesa Caoyonan, Pantawid Pamilya Information Officer 2 of DSWD-6 (Western Visayas) in an interview Tuesday.
She received a plaque of recognition and PHP20,000 cash prize.
Caoyonan said Lubrico bested other finalists from various regions around the country, except from the child representative of Region 10 (Northern Mindanao) Jay Mar Gac-ang, who was declared as champion in this year’s search.
Other winners of the search awards were child representatives from Region 1 (Ilocos Region) as second runner-up; National Capital Region, third runner-up; and MIMAROPA (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan) as fourth runner-up.
“These winners will serve as ambassadors or ambassadresses on children’s rights specifically on health and education,” Caoyonan said.
Caoyonan further said Lubrico is an active Grade 8 student of Santa Barbara National Comprehensive High School where she serves as president of the Student Supreme Council (SSC).
She led the implementation of their council’s policy, dubbed “Basura ko, Ibulsa ko”, which requires every student to keep their garbage in their pockets or pick-up at least five garbage items and dispose them at disposal areas with corresponding labels (Mabubulok, Hindi Mabubulok and Recyclable) before leaving the school premises every afternoon.
She is also a member of “Barkada Kontra Droga”, a school-based organization which aims to help students and even out-of-school youth to stay away from illegal drugs.
Lubrico dreams of becoming a successful teacher someday and help her parents, Arnel, an upholsterer, and Romabel, a parent leader of 4Ps.
While she is still in the process of reaching that dream, she volunteers as a day-care teacher for almost three years now at their village, Barasan Este.
She teaches around 33 kids how to dance, sing, write, draw, count, identify different colors and shapes and nursery rhymes.
Lubrico won the 2018 Regional Search for Exemplary Pantawid Pamilya Children last October, besting other representatives from Western Visayas.
