TABUK CITY, Kalinga – One hundred eighty school children received assorted school supplies and hygiene kits from Project Kabadang of the 1st Kalinga Mobile Force Company and Project Shoebox of the Kalinga-Apayao Youth Organization (KAYO), in partnership with the 50th Infantry Battalion.
Beneficiaries are learners of Dupag, Gaogao, and Bullaguiyan elementary schools of Barangay Dupag, one of the areas identified for the government’s End Local Communist Armed Conflict program.
The recent outreach one of the initiatives of the police, the military, and the youth group to help school children cope with the Covid-19 pandemic.
The PNP Mobile Force and its Company Advisory Council started the Kabadang several years back, targeting indigent families and poor communities, especially in conflict-stricken areas.
Project Shoebox aims to reach out to children through the distribution of basic school needs like paper, pencil, and erasers contained in shoeboxes.It also aims to inspire the young generation make better choices for their future.
Members of the Parents-Teachers Association and barangay officials who witnessed the distribution appreciated the mission of the uniformed personnel.
“Times have changed a lot. Before, we were afraid of the police and the soldiers. But now, they are our helpers and our friends. They are our constant collaborators and protectors,” said Dupag Punong Barangay Adolfo Domini.
The PNP and the 50th IB committed to continue the project as part of their good practices in fulfilling their mandates. – Peter A. Balocnit
