By ANTONIO M. AJERO
IF Davao has been chosen “Most child-friendly City” almost yearly for about half-a-dozen times, it is mostly because of the city government’s multifarious projects, programs and ordinances designed to promote and protect the welfare of children.
What is not so known is that many of the more than 50 private civic groups, non-government organizations and local chapters of international associations have been deeply involved in this advocacy, many times collaborating with the local government unit (LGU) in crafting ordinances and policies favorable to children.
Take the case of the city’s more than 20 Rotary clubs. Majority of these clubs of business executives, captains of industry, topnotch professionals and a sprinkling of retired expatriates mostly married to Filipino partners have long-running child-friendly projects.
The Rotary Club of Davao, the “mother club” established in 1938, has running projects benefitting elementary school pupils for decades now.
The RCD, headed this Rotary year by Edgar Bullecer, formerly of SGV accounting firm now co-founder and CEO of the Paglas Group of Companies, is continuously implementing a community basic education and literacy development assistance project for children of Obu-Manuvu Tribe in Barangay Carmen, in the hinterland district of Baguio in Davao City.
Bullecer told Edge Davao this particular project has been going on for four years now with the continuous support of the Rotary Club of Edmonton, Mayfield in Canada. Started this Rotary Year under Bullecer’s watch is the club’s support for an indigent community in the city where the TUBURAN INSTITUTE, INC. operates a unique school.
The mother club, Bullecer bared, extended its support to Tuburan in the construction of their classrooms, provision of learning materials like textbooks and computers, and other basic interventions. It is a small non-stock, non-profit community-based school. He said Tuburan which means “wellspring” in Bisaya, “reflects our desire to pave the way for a wellspring of independent, community-based schools in Mindanao.”
Mindanao’s oldest Rotary club is also famous for its various scholarship programs.
Its latest is geared to help deserving less fortunate students in Davao del Sur. This is a joint project of SAGREX Corp through the personal initiative of PP Ferdie Maranon and Foundation of the Rotary Club of Davao, Inc. in coordination with Kapwa Upliftment Foundation , Inc.
Another scholarship benefitting 10 Outstanding highschool students in Davao City, is a personal initiative of past president Diosdado Mahipus Sr, a veteran city lawmaker, who started the scholarship last year and intends to continue the scholarship for as long as necessary.
Aside from the above, RCD is also pursuing supplemental feeding at the San Roque Central Elementary School, Ubalde Elementary School and Orphanages around Davao City, Home for the Aged, and Davao Mental Hospital. This is a continuing project that RCD past presidents and members are so prout of.
RCED’s share in the advocacy
The Rotary Club of East Davao, Rotary District 3860’s biggest of all the close to 100 clubs in Mindanao and the Visayas, is another club famous for its child-friendly projects.
RCED, the second club to be established in Davao City sponsored by the mother club, is headed this year by Dr. Oscar Escudero, urologist and well-known marathoner.
The club has adopted six elementary schools in blighted areas for daily supplemental feeding, among many other child-friendly projects. They are the elementary schools of Francisco Bangoy in Sasa, Sta. Ana and J. P. Rizal in Sta. Ana and Juan Cruz in the Panacan Relocation area.
“We have spent millions of club members’ contributions and funding assistance from our sister clubs in Japan to sustain these feeding projects, knowing fully well how beneficial they are to the school children,” said past president Val Dionisio, who’s so fond of the children.
“We have empirical data that supplemental feeding has tremendously improved the grades of the students, aside from reducing the absences and dropout rates in the schools,” says lady Esther de Jesus, widow of past president Jesus “Tino” de Jesus who’s now an honorary member of RCED.
Another award-winning project of the club is its decade-long college scholarship program. Before the advent of the controversial K to 12 curriculum, every year the club picked as many as four brilliant high school graduates from the poorest of the poor families from among its adopted schools and award college scholarships for teaching training. Started during the presidency of retired banking executive Eduardo Sancho, the scholarship has graduated a total of 15, almost all of them completing their course with the highest honors.
The club also donated school building and science libraries.
During my time as president, the club donated a water system to the hinterland elementary school for indigenous peoples in Malamba. This was after previous club presidents donated computer unit and installed electricity in the farflung school for lumads. AMA
