Students from three public elementary schools in Sariaya, Quezon received personal items and school supplies from various government agencies who participated in a Community Outreach Program recently conducted by the CALABARZON Regional Development Council (RDC).

A total of 998 students from Castañas, Guis-Guis San Roque and Lutgarda Causapin elementary schools received the gifts from the Council. This includes slippers, underwear, food packs, school and hygiene supplies. Medical and dental services were also provided by the Department of Health and the Armed Forces of the Philippines Southern Luzon Command (SOLCOM) and a free haircut provided by the Philippine National Police (PNP).

The Council Vice Chairman and National Economic and Development Agency (NEDA) Regional Dir. Luis G. Banua shared that the outreach program is a way for NGAs to reach out and improve their delivery of goods and services to communities in the region.

“Ito ay panimula lamang. Kung may mga pangangailangan pa na kayang maihatid sa mga komunidad tulad dito ay tulong-tulong po naming aayusin at aaksyunan,” Dir Banua said during his message during the activity

Aside from providing gifts and services to the students from the said schools, the outreach program also aims to mitigate insurgency situations in the locality and nearby communities. The community outreach is also part of the Yakap Bayan: Community Mobilization Support Program which aims to strengthen the community and its members against lawlessness and criminality through providing sustainable system of rehabilitation and after care to drug surrenderees.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development Assistant Secretary for Special Concerns Jose Antonio Hernandez, in his message, emphasized that the gifts and services being provided aim to help students to be focused and perform better at school, and not be affected by the absence of basic necessities.

“Ang mga ganitong gawain ng mga ahensya at organisasyon ay para sa kinabukasan ninyong mga bata. Nasa sa inyo ang pag-asa ng Sariaya,” Assec Hernandez stressed.

The Regional Development Council is a regional organization comprised of local government units, national government agencies (NGAs), non-government organizations and other development partners working together for an integrated implementation of different programs and services of government agencies to achieve a holistic development in the region.***