THE Navara Nation Philippines-Eastern Visayas (NNP-EV) chapter on Monday, November 19, donated a total of 254 rain boots to all students at Sulpa National High School in the interior village of Sulpa in Villaba, Leyte.
The activity is the second-gift giving initiative of the group since its foundation this year.
Engineer Adroel Octaviano, president of NNP-EV, said they chose Sulpa National High School after reading the July 3, 2018 news article published at SunStar Philippines detailing the struggles of the students in going to school due to the unpaved and muddy road.
“Christmas came too early to the students at Sulpa National High School, thanks to NNP-EV,” said Villaba Mayor Juliet Larrazabal as she lauded the group’s effort during the distribution of the rain boots.
Larrazabal, however, said that she already found a budget to cement the roads going to the school.
School principal Eleanor Cariño also thanked the seven members of NNP-EV who personally delivered the rain boots to the school.
“The rain boots arrived just in time for the rainy season. This is a big help to our students who are having a hard time coming to school due to muddy road,” said Cariño.
According to the principal, the rain boots protect the students from water-borne diseases when the roads are flooded in their school.
Located around 12 kilometers away from the town proper, Sulpa has only about 200 meters of paved road.
As the school is situated in the middle of a farm, animal urine mixed with fecal matter are carried by water into the middle of the road, bringing diseases to everyone.
Rhoel Ladera, vice president of NNP-EV, said that total amount of their donation is P63,500.
“This is just our little way of supporting our less fortunate students. We hope that they will be inspired to finish their studies despite the condition in their school,” said Ladera while thanking the financial support of their 34 active members across the region.
Other NNP-EV members who joined in the gift giving are Fredie Segovia, Kelvin Tan, Mark Gatela, Raddy Llaban, and Jizlee Abajon.
“We appreciate the donation and the encouragement of the NNP-EV to the students. We urge our students to give back the favor by doing well in school,” Leyte Assistant Schools Division Superintendent Edgar Tenasas said.
Aceboy Porlares, 14, one of the recipients, promised the group that he will take care of rain boots and finish his school “to reward the kindness of our donors.”
On August 21, the car club donated school gears to 125 indigent residents mostly from the Manobo and Mamanwa tribal groups in the upland village of Almeria, Biliran. (SunStar Philippines)