ANGELES CITY -- The Angeles City Clark Balibago Lions Club of Pampanga and the Blacktown Ponds Lions Club of New South Wales, Australia launched the 1st Philippines-Australia Joint Lions Mission recently to highlight the annual celebration of Philippines—Australia Friendship Day throughout the nation.
Last May 12, the two Lions clubs led the activity in Barangay Anunas, Angeles City. It was a full-service mission with 1,200 indigents benefitting from various stations catering to urgent community needs.
Services provided were Medical (doctor checkups), Dental (tooth extractions), Optical (reading glasses distribution), mass Circumcision, Osteoporosis bone density screening, and Pharmacy (prescription and maintenance medicine dispensary).
School supplies, children’s clothes, and adult slippers were likewise distributed on—site; hearty snacks were also given out during the activity.
“This undertaking is a milestone in Philippines—Australia relations. We are working together across borders for a common goal — to serve our underprivileged and less-fortunate,” said Sol Flores Jr., President of the co—lead Angeles City Clark Balibago LC.
Lions from Australia and the Philippines convened in the Anunas Covered Court to render the service activity, with renowned singer of APO Hiking Society Jim Paredes among them.
“Our Lions club is overjoyed to help deliver this first project here in Angeles City and already look forward to future joint missions with our counterpart,” said Rissa McInnes, head of the delegation from the co—lead Blacktown Ponds LC.
Volunteers for the project came from various government partners, foremost the Department of Health, City Government of Angeles, Sangguniang Barangay of Anunas, and PAGCOR Casino Filipino Angeles. The affair was likewise made more fruitful with the help of partner organizations such as SOUL Group, Inc., Soroptimist International of Angeles City, and the Angeles City Medical Society.
The PHL-AUS Joint Lions Mission is a club-to-club initiative of the Blacktown Ponds Lions Club, Inc. and the Angeles City Clark Balibago Lions Club to jointly render high-impact community projects annually.