OVER 300 students have benefited on Thursday, September 20, from the community outreach program of the Zamboanga Press Club, Incorporated (ZPCI) with the support of other agencies in Zamboanga City.
The beneficiaries of the program were the students of the elementary school in Guisao, an interior and upland village 18 kilometers east of this city.
The community outreach is in line with the “Adopt a School Program” of the ZPCI, which was conceptualized when the club, in partnership with Special Assistant to the President Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go, distributed school supplies to the underprivileged children of the school on July 26.
The community outreach program included medical, tooth extraction, haircut for boys and girls, feeding, and lectures on gadget addiction, teen pregnancy and advocacy on Violence Against Women and Children.
Officers of the ZPCI have also donated to the school reference books and used clothes to the mothers of the school children.
Of the over 300 beneficiaries, 108 availed free medical check-up; 35 tooth extraction; 110 free haircut (60 boys and 50 females); and, feeding, 60.
Guisao Elementary School Principal Emmanuel Flores expressed his heartfelt gratitude to ZPCI for coming up with the project, the “Adopt a School Program.”
Flores said the program is of big help to the students, especially those who belong to poor families.
Guisao Village Chief Miguel Arquiza said it was the first time that an organization has initiated such program that benefited the school children in their barangay.
“We are happy that the press club has initiated this program that benefited the school children here,” Arquiza added.
The conduct of the community outreach program was made possible through the support of the City Health Office, including its dental team; Department of Health; Marine Battalion Landing Team-11; Guisao Village Council; Police Station 4 (Culianan); Rain’s Beauty Salon and Barbershop; Dragon Print Depot; and, Zamboanga City Medical Society.
The ZPCI is a non-stock and non-profit organization whose members are media practitioners in Zamboanga City. (Bong Garcia/SunStar Philippines)