From Kid Salt Vendor to Social Worker

He was often seen at the Iloilo Supermarket selling salt. Instead of being at home, circumstances pushed him to help his parents earn for their family.

While many of the kids his age were playing, he had limited time to join them. He had to pitch in to infuse additional income for his brothers.

“I experienced nga naga bugtaw kami aga pa para mag baligya sang isa ka balde nga asin sa super tag P2 ang Caltex, P6 ang ganta kag P30 asta P40 kada balde. Kung mapa ubos namon ang 1 ka balde may P30 asta P40 pesos kami nga money dala pauli hatag kay nanay para dugang sa galastuhon sa sulod balay. Amo na kabudlay ang amon pangabuhi.” (I experienced waking up at dawn to sell one pail of salt. Salt in one Caltex (refers to a plastic container for petroleum usually recycled in households) costs P2, P6 for a ganta and around P30 to P40 per pail. If we sell everything, we brought P30 to P40 at home, gave it to our mother to shoulder expenses for the family), he said.

Richard Sevilla, fondly called “Chaddy” by family, friends and co-workers, is now 43 years of age and a resident of Brgy. Airport, Mandurriao, Iloilo City. He is a child of Fernando Dela Cruz Sevilla and Vilma Alicante Sevilla.

He happily recalled that the source of income of the family has been Rock Salt Making and caretaker of a fishpond for many years.

The vast area of the fishpond is now long gone with the establishment of Megaworld’s Iloilo Business Park, but for Chaddy, “the memory stays. All the happy days of childhood at the fishpond are remembered.”

“(Ang akon Pamilya mga Ashindero kag Ashindera. Hindi mayaman ha! Mga nagabaligya Asin kaya Asindero kag Asindera)” he jokes. “But, I am very thankful to my parents because sang ila pag panghimakas wala sila nag untat sapag gasto sa amon nga pag eskwela asta maka tapos high school kag naka tapak kami college level.”

“My families are Ashindero and Ashindera. We are not rich. We were selling salt,” he jokes. “But I am very thankful to my parents because of their hard work. They never stopped to ensure that we reach high school and college level.”

According to Chaddy, his father reached Elementary level while his mother reached College level. “I think one of the very important lessons that my parents were able to teach us is how to value education. They do not want us to suffer the same fate. They wanted us to be schooled to give us a fighting chance in life and to have a better future.”

CHALLENGE

Chaddy said he understood the limitations of his parents. They wanted to send them to the best colleges but their means were limited.

Time came when the family’s income was not sufficient to sustain their daily needs including their schooling.

“The eldest was prioritized so that he can finish college. I had to stop schooling and helped my parents earn money instead. I was on the second year of my college education that time at Central Philippine University taking up BS Elementary Education. I was one of those called out-of-school-youth (OSY).”

As an out of school youth, it was difficult, Chaddy said. “It hurt to see and think that I had to quit schooling while my batch mates were finishing college. But I did not allow that feeling to defeat me.”

According to him, he volunteered as a Day Care Worker in their community. Back then, there were two sessions, one in the morning and another in the afternoon. He volunteered in the afternoon.

PYAP

His volunteer work opened him to be invited to join as one of the members of the Pag-asa Youth Association of the Philippines (PYAP), an organization of young individuals who are mostly out-of-school (OSY), under the auspices of DSWD as an intervention for OSYs.

Chaddy said that it became his door of opportunity to grow. He was noticed by one social worker, late Eduardo “Che” Guevarra, while doing volunteer work. “My sense of volunteerism perhaps caught his attention.”

That act of volunteerism became an opening window for him to be selected in leading their barangay PYAP as President in Airport, Mandurriao (old airport site) in March 1998. Then in April 1999, he was President of PYAP Iloilo City Federation. In year 2000, he served as Secretary of the PYAP Regional Federation.

“Volunteerism is always in my heart. I never stopped and I enjoyed helping in the community and the society as a whole. I then volunteered under Mr. Guevarra who was then working as DSWD Regional Focal Person for Youth Welfare and PYAP implementer. I am very thankful to Mr. Guevarra as my Mentor for his untiring work in coaching me and my fellow OSYs. He taught us what he knew, his knowledge, skills, and positive disposition in life,” he said.

Chaddy also fondly remembers Guevarra teaching them to become self-reliant, economically productive, and socially responsible citizens.

According to him, he then was absorbed by Guevarra as DSWD FO6 – PYAP Liason Officer, with an allowance of 1,000 per month. “And at the time I was happy while earning and getting experience of working in the government office for almost one year.”

DIFFICULTY TURNED INTO GAIN

Chaddy said fate smiled at him since then.

In 2001, his career in DSWD started. He was hired as Clerk on a Purchase Service contract under then Program Specialist Joel P. Galicia (later Assistant Regional Director and OIC Regional Director of DSWD until he retired) who was implementing the Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (CIDSS).

“I believe in the saying, “Pag May Tiaga May Nilaga,” Chaddy emphasized.

In 2002, he was hired as Administrative Staff for KALAHI CIDSS- Kapit Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan, a World-Bank funded Program.

In 2003, he was nominated as Best Administrative Staff in the national level. “And with my dedication in my work, I won that category besting all other nominees from different regions in the country.”

In 2009, Chaddy was hired as Regional Information Technology Office I (RITO) of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) up to the present.

BACK TO SCHOOL

Chaddy, while working, took time to finish College, this time, shifting course to Bachelor of Science in Social Work. He graduated in April 2012 and became a licensed social worker on June 29, 2014.

He also finished the course BS Computer Science in 2017 and took units under Masters in Public Administration at Northern Iloilo Polytechnic State College.

“Poverty is not a hindrance at all. If you want something, you can achieve it with persistence, industry, and love for yourself. I am very happy with all the opportunities given to me. That is why I continue to commit myself and dedicate my work to DSWD.

OUT-OF-SCHOOL NO MORE

According to Chaddy, the biggest achievement for him is not the material things but the fact that he made sure that his siblings have finished their schooling as well. While working at DSWD, he sent his brothers to college.

“I sort of invested in human capital. With the income I earn, I now have younger siblings who are professionals—one is a Certified Public Accountant working at the Bureau of Internal Revenue and another is a Registered Social Worker now serving as Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program Municipal Link assigned in Balasan, Iloilo.”

According to him, he feels now that he is reaping the fruits of his labor as he sees their parents enjoying their success. “We want our parents to feel how much we love them. I remember that we were always praying. Indeed, a family that prays together stays together.”

PAY IT FORWARD

Chaddy is currently serving as Alternate Focal Person for youth of DSWD and the PYAP Regional Focal Person for Western Visayas, on top of his work as RITO.

“This is like a pay-it-forward thing. I am a product of the generosity of people and a testament of positive things and blessings that came my way. It is time that I spread my blessings by leading to ensure that the out-of-school can find productive endeavors and find their way back to school. With that, too, they will have a better chance in life. (DSWD-6)