Metrobank Foundation, AFP join hands in 'Bags of Blessing' project

From the Philippine News Agency (Feb 9): Metrobank Foundation, AFP join hands in 'Bags of Blessing' project

In line with its community development missions, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and Metrobank Foundation distributed gifts to underprivileged Filipinos in its "Bags of Blessing" project on Monday.

Launched in 2011, the project is a nationwide gift-giving activity held every Chinese New Year as a way of carrying out the Metrobank Group’s tradition of sharing.

AFP public affairs office chief Col. Noel Detoyato said each “Bags of Blessing" contains PHP1,000 worth of assorted food items.

The bags were distributed to 10,000 marginalized beneficiaries in selected areas in the country.

Detoyato said the AFP participated this year to showcase its commitment to nation-building.

He added AFP personnel will help in the distribution in the National Capital Region (NCR) areas off Manila, Marikina, Quezon City, Taguig, Pasay and Makati starting Monday until Saturday.

Meanwhile, the distribution of the bag in Luzon areas will take place on Saturday until February 20.

These areas include Gen. Trias, Cavite; Dagupan City, Pangasinan; Laoag City, Ilocos Norte; Tuguegarao City, Cagayan; Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija; Calumpit, Bulacan; and Municipality of Kalayaan in Palawan.

In Visayas, distribution will also be on Saturday until February 20.

Detoyato said these places are: Lapaz, Iloilo City; Cebu City; Maribojoc, Bohol; Palo, Leyte; Guiuan, Eastern Samar; and Toledo City, Cebu.

In Mindanao, distribution will only be on Saturday in Cagayan De Oro City and Davao City.

As this develops, Information Technology and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP) and TeamAsia, in partnership with AFP, began gathering donations to fill 20,000 shoeboxes with school supplies for less-fortunate children and P500,000 to help furnish Payatas Orione Foundation’s Training Center in Dalahican, Quezon Province.

The AFP and its partner-stakeholders started accepting donations on November 20, 2015.

The deadline for shoebox submission was on Jan. 15.

In the spirit of Christmas, last year’s gift-giving events were scheduled Dec. 11 (Payatas Drione Foundation, Quezon City), Dec. 15 (SOS Children’s Village, Muntinlupa City), Dec. 28 (San Pedro Calungsod, Muntinlupa) and Dec. 30 (Ascension of Our Lord Parish, Parañaque). More gift-giving events will be scheduled this February.

The event dubbed “My Dream in a Shoebox” was first launched in 2009 with merely 200 shoeboxes. In 2014, the effort was able to gather 26,000 shoeboxes which were donated to public schools and foundations covering Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

Meanwhile, around 348 Grade 8 and 9 students and 30 faculty members of Assumption College were treated to a tour and a chance to participate in AFP’s “Race to 1,000,000 Seedlings” last February 1.

The students were toured in Camp Aguinaldo’s main infrastructures and were allowed to interact with soldiers.

They visited the AFP Museum and Theater where they saw the transformation of AFP, its capabilities, accomplishments and history.

A static display of newly-acquired military vehicles and helicopters were also flown in to showcase the modernization of the AFP.

All the students contributed 10 seedlings to the program which was formally launched last January.

The project has the aim to encourage people to participate in the creation of 1 million seedlings that would be planted in available spots around NCR.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=855188