Saturday, December 15, 2007 Glo gives out health cards, goods
PRESIDENT Arroyo yesterday brought smiles and heavy traffic to Barangay Luz, Cebu City, where she distributed gifts, Philhealth cards and scholarships to over 1,000 students and residents.
She gave 500 gift packs to Luz residents and 500 more to residents of Barangays Mabolo, Carreta and Hipodromo, said Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) 7 officer-in-charge Nemia Antipala.
Each pack contained two kilos of rice, noodles, canned goods, spaghetti and spaghetti sauce, and other food items.
Antipala said they took charge of the distribution, but it was the City Govern-ment’s Department of Social Welfare and Services that identified the recipients. The National Food Authority (NFA) 7 prepared the goods.
“Maayo na lang kaayo ni nga di mi kinahanglang mopalit og ihikay sa balay pila ka kaonan (This will save us from having to buy a few days’ worth of meals),” said a grinning woman whom Sun.Star met on her way out of the Luz National Elementary School, where the gifts were distributed.
President Arroyo, who suffered from a sore throat, initially led the distribution with Mayor Tomas Osmeña before proceeding to another engagement in Barangay Mabolo.
“Salamat sa inyong dakong suporta nako (Thank you for your support),” she told the crowd before leaving five minutes after.
Luz Barangay Captain Nida Cabrera said that the President also gave Philhealth cards to some Capitol Site residents and scholarship grants to 125 high school graduates of her barangay.
Arroyo likewise gave PO1 Noriel Luage a posthumous award, including P10,000 cash that his wife Rohamma accepted. Luage’s three-year-old son also received a scholarship grant.
“Dako nakong gikali-pay nga dako siya’g natabang karon nga wala na ang akong bana (I am glad that she has helped me a lot, now that my husband is gone),” said Rohamma Luage. (Hours after receiving an award, the rookie policeman was shot and killed while serving an arrest warrant last Dec. 10.)
Antipala said their office and the NFA 7 will next distribute gift packs to 50,000 beneficiaries in Bohol and Oriental Negros provinces.
With traffic enforcers, police and tanods sealing off the school and surrounding areas, traffic slowed to a crawl on Salinas Drive and Archbishop Reyes and Juan Luna Aves. during the President’s visit at 10 a.m. yesterday.
Apart from Cabrera and Osmeña, the President had Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia, Rep. Raul del Mar and Rep. Antonio Cuenco for company during the distribution.
“Usa kini ka dakong gasa gayud sa akong pamilya, ilabi na nga nagdaut pa ang akong usa ka babayeng anak (This is a great blessing for my family, especially that my daughter has fallen ill),” said a fire victim in Barangay Luz, who received a gift pack. (RHM/Caren Mae Pagalaran, La Salle University-Ozamiz City intern)
