EXCLUSIVE
DSWD says family of
Freddie’s gf belongs to ‘poorest of the poor’
October
27, 2013 | 10:38 pm
0 66 20
THE MAN
who composed the worldwide hit “Anak” and his young girlfriend struggle against
all odds. Facebook
CITY OF
CALAPAN, Philippines — The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)
said the family of singer Freddie Aguilar’s 16-year-old girlfriend belongs to
the “poorest of the poor” in Oriental Mindoro, having been a recipient
since 2008 of the agency’s Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) or the
government’s poverty alleviation program.
Maridel
Rodriguez, the designated DSWD provincial link to 4Ps, said the controversy
over Aguilar’s much-publicized involvement with the minor would not affect her
family’s enrollment in the 4Ps program, as “it’s a separate case.”
Rodriguez,
in a recent interview with the Inquirer at the agency’s office at the Capitol
complex here, showed official records that listed the birthday of Aguilar’s
girlfriend as Nov. 29, 1996. She would turn 17 on her birthday next
month.
Another
DSWD officer, designated as Oriental Mindoro municipal link to 4Ps but who
declined to be identified, said the agency was able to confirm the girl’s date
of birth from an interview by a municipal field staff member with 4Ps
beneficiaries on July 10, 2012.
The
municipal link officer said the agency visited the family again recently on
instruction of DSWD-Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan) director
Wilma Naviamos. During the visit, the girl’s mother showed DSWD representatives
her child’s original birth certificate to put an end to speculations.
Aguilar’s
girlfriend is the second of three children. The eldest is now 19 years old and
the youngest is 14.
OLD HOME.
Today only half of the 10 x 10-meter family home of Freddie Aguilar’s
girlfriend in Oriental Mindoro remains after it was damaged by Typhoon “Caloy”
a year ago.
Her
parents are both farm workers who do odd jobs between farming seasons.
DSWD
records showed that all three children were 4Ps beneficiaries in 2008, each
receiving P300 as financial assistance when they were still 14 years old and
below—the age requirement to qualify as a beneficiary. At present, only the
youngest remains a beneficiary. The whole family received P500 for health and
nutrition assistance.
Enough,
please
In an
interview with the Inquirer, the girl’s parents said they wanted an end to the
media frenzy that followed the revelation of their daughter’s relationship with
the singer who became an international sensation because of the song “Anak.”
They said
there was nothing they could do to change their daughter’s mind who had
apparently “fallen in love” with the singer.
The
parents said they were hurt by comments that their daughter was “cheap” and
they wanted to bask in Aguilar’s popularity.
The
mother, 41, said they had become the subject of unkind rumors in their barangay
(village).
But she
said despite the flak her daughter was getting, the girl had never been
happier. “She’s really in love,” the mother said.
The
mother said the family had to leave their home and rent an apartment a
few kilometers away, as “here, we can be quiet, away from possible
fights.”
NEW HOME.
“We’re not making Freddie pay for this (apartment),” the girl’s mother said.
The second floor of this apartment in Oriental Mindoro is now being rented by
the girl’s family.
She said
her husband, who is also an electrician, had a project closer to their rented
apartment.
She
stressed they got a loan to pay the apartment’s monthly rental fee of P3,000.
“We’re not making Freddie pay for this; that may be in people’s mind,” she was
quick to add, to stop people from jumping to wrong conclusions.
The
mother said they expected their daughter, who was living in the singer’s home
in Manila, to visit them anytime.
She said
Aguilar and their daughter met in May during a local election campaign where
the singer was a guest and the girl had a production number in the program.
Farm
house
A village
official and a local church worker, who expressed concern for the family of
Aguilar’s girlfriend, brought this correspondent to the girl’s old family home.
With
farmlands as backdrop, the house was typical of many others in the
neighborhood—a structure of plywood, galvanized iron, bamboo and wood.
There were a few multistory concrete houses owned by families of overseas
Filipino workers in the area.
The mother
of Aguilar’s girlfriend said their house was now only half its original size
because of Typhoon “Caloy” a year ago. She said her husband, who is also a
carpenter, built the house that stood on his mother’s land.
Displayed
in one corner of the house were numerous awards Aguilar’s girlfriend won
in local beauty pageants.
Beside
the family home was the oldest daughter’s house, who said she enjoyed
accompanying her sister to beauty contests in their municipality and in
adjoining towns.
The
eldest sister said she advised her sister not to follow her example, having
become a mother at 17. Her son is now 10 months old.
There
were rumors in the community that Aguilar’s girlfriend was actually the boy’s
mother.
The
sister said she also told the younger girl to “persevere to succeed in life.”
Saying
her parents were now staying in the rented apartment of her sister, the eldest
child said they would return next month to the family home because her parents’
livelihood was really working in the farm.
THE INTERIOR
of the family home that sits on the lot owned by the girl’s grandmother.
“One
could earn from P150 to P400 per day depending on the number of hours they are
hired as farm workers,” she said.
“Mother
sometimes takes laundry jobs,” she added.
Their 67-year-old
paternal grandmother, who lives in a house near the eldest child’s home, said
she did not know the details of the controversy involving her younger
granddaughter and her famous boyfriend.
The
grandmother, who was caring for two granddaughters whose parents were working
abroad, said she had hoped Aguilar’s girlfriend would enroll in a course
offered by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) in
the province.
She said
her brother, who was an officer of Tesda, could help her granddaughter.
The
grandmother lamented, “After high school, she (the girlfriend) concentrated on
joining (beauty) pageants.”
But a
neighbor said, despite her young age, Aguilar’s girlfriend was “mature” and she
really wanted to be with Aguilar.
“What can
we do? What can the law do?” she asked.
Headstrong
The
girl’s mother agreed with the neighbor’s view. She said her middle child had
always been “headstrong.”
“What can
we do if our daughter fell in love?” the mother added.
She said
the DSWD assured them it would help, especially should there be allegations of
abuse, physical or otherwise.
The
mother confirmed her daughter and Aguilar’s staff applied for a travel
clearance with the DSWD in Manila, which was denied because her daughter, being
a minor, would not be accompanied by her parents.
A
municipal DSWD official, who did not want to be identified, would not give
details on the trip but said the matter was seriously discussed by the agency.
The
mother also denied that her daughter was a member of a band. “She does not know
how to sing; her talent is dancing,” she said.
She
expressed the wish that her daughter would remain “firmly grounded
(nakaapak sa lupa)” despite her relationship with a celebrity.
She said
she hoped her daughter would continue her studies so she could be a flight
stewardess or pursue her dream course, Hotel and Restaurant Management.
“We don’t
know where her relationship (with Aguilar) will lead and until when (it will
last),” the mother said.
Read more: http://entertainment.inquirer.net/118711/dswd-says-family-of-freddies-gf-belongs-to-poorest-of-the-poor#ixzz2iwENiRIJ
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