Humans should think of a once in a lifetime. Every people have the right to choose but, not all are privileged to have numerous chances. One mistake can destroy the unity of the family. Things can change without realizing it. Suddenly, an event may happen out of control for some reason. A father is presumed to be the protector of his family. He serves as the unbreakable wall that will guard his loved ones. But what if the protector sinned all of a sudden? Will their home remain complete without the wall? How would the family members be able to get through a quick change? Love for the family can conquer challenges. Faith will lighten up their path to survive a crisis.
A 36 years old woman and a mother to her eight children who temporarily take over the part of being the wall of their home. A partner to his beloved man, Dianne Rose Dannug. Their family is residing in North Caloocan. Her live-in partner, Christian Soriano, was committed to jail for about one year and three months. They have been together for almost 19 years and have yet to get married. Their life changed when her live-in partner was committed to jail. It was a traumatic experience when her partner was caught. That was the time when Former President Duterte implemented the Extra Judicial Killing or Oplan Tokhang. She technically don’t know where to go to see her partner until she found out that he was brought to Caloocan City Jail. It became challenging for Ms. Dianne to take care of her eight children. She has to multitask between standing as a mother and a father to her children. Being a solo parent is a crucial experience especially when it comes to a big family. It requires extra effort to give the needs of children. She has to support their necessities, teach her children and provide good welfare to them. Fortunately, there were relatives with a good heart that assists such as food and a small amount of money whenever she visits her partner in jail. She has been longing for support from her partner to take care of their family. It just happened that she felt bad for her partner because she couldn’t see him changing. She decided not to visit him for about six months for him to realize what he have done. She wanted her partner to value change for the sake of their family. While she’s not visiting, her partner often creates a letter for her. Whenever there would be someone related to him visits a fellow PDL, he sends the letter to his beloved partner. For Ms. Dianne, this was a sign of courting her. This has been a way of requesting forgiveness from her partner. Imagine how touching it was, to know that Mr. Christian rents a pen for ten pesos just to write a letter to his loved ones. Of course. Ms. Dianne admired that alluring deed of her partner. A way to a woman’s heart is through simple gestures. Meanwhile, her partner was acquitted and released from jail. Afterward, her partner realized to prioritize his family and strengthen his faith in God. These have been reflected in what he has been through for more than a year in jail. One time, barangay personnel went to their home to introduce HLAF. At first, they were confused about it so the barangay personnel explained well regarding the programs of HLAF. Then they immediately joined the FRED program. They were amazed by the activities launched by this program such as webinar sessions and livelihood programs. Also, they were taught about Resume making which has been an advantage for them upon knowing that Ms. Dianne also taught this to her sons. However, three years after his partner was released, Mr. Christian worked as a habal-habal driver to earn income. Unfortunately, his income was not enough to support the needs of his family. On his way home, he noticed a man fixing his vehicle. He approached and helped him to fix it. The man was amazed and thankful for helping him. Then, he was offered a job at the nearby shop and told to return the next day. Mr. Christian was shocked when he knew that the man he helped was the owner of the shop. What luck from a coincidence! He felt hopeful that finally, he could have a permanent job near the comfort of their home despite his experience. He didn’t break the trust that was given to him and performed well at work.
Ms. Dianne and Mr. Christian highlighted how HLAF benefited them. They described HLAF as amazing and helpful. They would like to emphasize that HLAF does not only help them in the financial aspect but more importantly, mentally and morally. They joined the livelihood programs of FRED to start a small business for profit. They learned how to manage stress and estimated negativity in their relationship. Indeed, they have built a strong bond with the family members through the webinar sessions of HLAF. Moreover, Mr. Christian had been more responsible enough than before and strengthened the relationship within the family. They were grateful for all the favors that HLAF have made for them. They couldn’t ask for more but wished for HLAF to help as many as they can. From all they have been through, one thing that is marked on them is to learn from experience. Never go back to something that brought you to the worst situation. Might as well, foster positivity and find the goodness in your heart. Prosperity comes along when acquiring good deeds. Don’t lose the chance to start over again because you’ll never know what may happen next. Life is unpredictable. You might fail for some time but always try to stand, look up and see that light that will give you hope. Hence, a parent shouldn’t miss a memory with his family so treasure every moment. Connection with your loved ones can tighten your bond.
