|
Monday, April 04, 2005
Koreans have a heart for the needy
By Fritz Legarde Espedilla, MD, PhD
THERE'S a burgeoning community of South Koreans in the Davao area, especially Davao City. It is composed of businessmen engaged in various ventures, mostly in buying export bananas and in the dealership of second-hand cars, trucks and accessories and electronic appliances. However, a number of the Korean expats are students enrolled in various Davao universities and colleges.
The Koreans are not only astute businessmen from an affluent country we call tiger economy. Having suffered untold miseries of poverty and deprivation under the colonial rule of the Japanese for four centuries and the ravages of war with their communist brethren in the early 50s and the Cold War that followed, Koreans easily empathize with the needy Dabawenyos, especially those living in depressed areas of the region.
One such gesture of charity and compassion for the poor was again shown sometime last month, when the Davao Koreano Association, led no less than by its president, Kim Min Wong, and auditor, Seung Chul Choi, extended financial assistance to the Bukal Elementary School in Barangay Bukal, Nabunturan, Compostela Valley Province.
The area, reachable through a three-hour ride from Davao City, used to be New People's Army-influenced in the eighties. Now, the people can farm and develop the potentials of their natural hot spring, which continues to attract droves of foreign and domestic tourists.
The association extended a cash donation of P27,000 for the construction of the school fence and gates to Barangay Captain Alberto Dumagno and Purok Leader Rogelio Mique.
They also brought juice drinks and biscuits to feed 352 school children.
Mr. Choi also gave P20,000 as financial assistance to the pupils of Purok Durianan in Barangay Bukal, 90 percent of whose population are Mansaka lumads. The amount was an improvement of Choi's donation of P15,000 last year.
Also last year, the association extended educational assistance to the pupils of New Bollukan Elementary School in Laac, Compostela Valley.
For their show of compassion and charity, we say Kansamhamnida! (Thank you) to the Koreans.
For Bisaya stories from Davao. Click here. (April 4, 2005 issue)
Write letter to the editor.Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board.Click here. |
|
[return to top]
[home]
[network page]
|
LOCAL NEWS
BUSINESS
OPINION
SPORTS
LIFESTYLE
FEATURE
SUPERBALITA
WEEKEND
|
