Schools division superintendent Dr. Teresa Mababa hands over a plaque of appreciation to Cabanatuan City police chief Lt. Col. Arnel Dial.
CABANATUAN CITY – A few days before the opening of classes, Remedios, a 45-year-old mother of two form Barangay Pula here was at a loss where to get the gadget her grade 5 daughter would use in her online studies.
This, even as most of the over 50,000 public school students under the Cabanatuan City Schools Division chose modular as distance learning method.
“Hindi ko po alam kung paano. Ako lang ang nagta-trabaho. May sakit ang asawa ko,” Remedios said. “Kahit po notebook ay hindi ako makabili.”
Friday afternoon, Remedios received one unit of an android phone for her daughter from the Cabanatuan City police office led by Lt. Col. Arnel Dial and the Department of Education led by schools division superintendent Teresa Mababa.
“Nagpapasalamat po ako ng maraming-marami. Malaking tulong po ito sa anak ko,” she said.
In simple rites graced by Nueva Ecija police provincial office director Col. Marvin Joe Saro and officials from the city government at Pula Elementary School here, Dial turned over to DepEd 100 units of smart phones.
These benefitted 100 students from indigent families as identified by the schools division office.
Dial said the phones came from donation of “good hearted Cabanatueños” who supported their Tulong Ko Edukasyon Mo program under Rektang Bayanihan agenda of Central Luzon police director Brig. Gen. Rhodel Sermonia.
As a fund raiser, the police sold roasted chicken at higher prices until they generated P300,000 to purchase the phones.
“Isang pagpapatunay lang po iyan na bayanihan talaga ang susi para malampasan po natin yung pandemic,” Mababa said. “Tinugunan po nila yung isang bagay na kailangang-kailangan talaga naming.”
She stressed that DepEd has been doing everything to advance the interest of the students.
Saro, meanwhile, lauded the activity saying police has been “working in extra miles” amid the coronavirus pandemic.
“Maraming tumutulong po na mga stakeholders at ganun din naman, sa part ng pulis ay kami ang nagiging conduit para maipamigay yung mga bagay-bagay na kinakailangan ng ating komunidad,” Saro said.
