APF, U.S. troops support Kapuso donations of school supplies to Basilan children

Bong Garcia, Philippine Sun Star

Some 600 first grade pupils from the 10 villages in Hadji Muhtamad town in Basilan, Basilan province, have benefited in the outreach program of the GMA Kapuso Foundation Inc.

Hadji Muhtamad Mayor Anwar Abdulmajid said Friday the children have received school supplies during the outreach program dubbed as "Unang Hakbang Sa Kinabukasan 2010."

Abdulmajid said the children were very happy when each of them received a backpack full of school supplies.

The distribution of the school supplies in last Monday's outreach program in Barangay Tausan was spearheaded by GMA Kapuso Foundation Inc. Project Officer Tina G. Dungca, whose team traveled all the way from Manila to Hadji Muhtamad town.

Abdulmajid said that each backpack contains school supplies like pencils, ballpens, erasers, pad papers, notebooks, crayons and others.

"Noon napapanood lang nila sa TV (ang outreach program), pero ngayon sila ang beneficiaries," Abdumajid said citing the children as well as the parents were very happy and grateful to the GMA Kapuso Foundation, Inc. for initiating the outreach program.

He said the outreach program was coupled by a feeding program initiated by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Provincial Officer Lilia Bucoy in coordination with Hadji Muhtamad municipal government.

He said a team from the Joint Special Operations Task Force-Philippines led by Captain Bill Adam has also turned over science kits for all of the elementary school in Hadji Muhtamad town.

He said the science kits were donated by the United States Agency for International Development (USAid) which was facilitated by Adam.

Abdulmajid has also expressed his heartfelt gratitude to Naval Forces Western Mindanao (NFWM) chief Rear Admiral Alexander Pama, First Marine Brigade chief Brig. Gen. Eugene Clemen and Department of Education (DepEd) provincial office headed by Supt. Nurhaya Abdurahim for their support to the realization of the outreach program.

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/zamboanga/kapuso-donates-school-supplies-basilan-children