200 families in SoCot town benefit from police outreach program

From the Philippine News Agency (Jan 27, 2022): 200 families in SoCot town benefit from police outreach program (By Roel Osano)

REACHING OUT. Members of the South Cotabato provincial police office, led by Col. Nathaniel Villegas (left), hand over school supplies to some 200 children in Sitio Lamkugo, Barangay Lansalome, T’boli town on Wednesday (Jan. 26, 2022). The children’s families were also given food packs that contain rice, canned goods, and other grocery items during the outreach program. (Photo courtesy of SCPPO)

At least 200 families in a remote village in T’boli town in this province benefited from an outreach program by the South Cotabato Provincial Police Office (SCPPO).

In a statement Thursday, Col. Nathaniel Villegas, the SCPPO director, identified the beneficiary of their outreach program as Sitio Lamkugo, Barangay Lamsalome in T’boli.

Villegas, who led the activity Wednesday, said the effort was their way of giving joy to the poor villagers, and at the same time overseeing the security and welfare of the people in the community.

“The SCPPO overpasses the distance to reach out to bring something as an expression of gratefulness and returning of favor for their support towards peace and development,” Villegas said.

Beneficiaries were given food packs that contain rice, canned goods, and other grocery items.

Part of the program is the lectures on Violence Against Women and Children (VAWC) and other relevant provisions on the welfare of women and children to educate the community about the existing law.

To encourage 200 children in the village to continue their studies amid the pandemic, they were given school supplies as the highlight of the activity.

The SCPPO conducted the outreach program in collaboration with the provincial government of South Cotabato as part of their anti-criminality campaign and the End Local Communist Armed Conflict (ELCAC) program of the national government.

In a separate statement, Boy Me, the sitio leader of Lamkugo, said the rare opportunity to be chosen as the beneficiary of the outreach program brought smiles to the faces of his constituents.

“It has been almost 30 years since an activity like this was brought by the government in our sitio, I am happy seeing men in uniform bringing such help, program, and activity,” Me said in the vernacular.

He assured their full support and help to the peace and development program of the government.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1166469