Some 200 poor
residents of this flower barangay received their Christmas packages of
rice, noodles and carne norte on Friday in this part of
Samar.
Barangay Chairman
Jocelyn Yerro had to mobilize her constituents to ensure that guests
do not get wet with the steady downpour of rain. They hoisted a
makeshift tarpaulin-roof to protect their guests.
Secretary Apostol with
the different regional directors of line agencies arrived by chopper
from Biliran where they also attended to a similar gift giving feat.
Apostol in his speech
relayed the Christmas message of the president to the poor people of
the barangay who were beneficiaries of the gift giving.
Michelle Pacsa, 27
with four kids held on tightly to her pack, she knew Apostol and that
PGMA gave those gifts. She said two of her kids aged 6 and 3 are
malnourished. She was grateful for the package and smiled shyly
saying, the pack would assure them food for at least two days.
Jennilyn Pacsa was
breastfeeding a 2-month old baby as she waited for her turn to receive
her gift. The baby she held was not malnourished, one of the elder
kids was. Unlike Michelle, she would wait till New Year to consume her
carne norte, she would add it to spaghetti which she plans to prepare
come new year’s eve.
Chairman Yerro said
she is aware of the malnutrition problem in her barangay, she said she
would fund a feeding program and mothers class for mothers to be
educated on feeding their children.
Sta. Rita Mayor
Lisandro Kim Adolfo said it took them only ten days to prepare for the
grandiose reception, but because of the full cooperation of his staff,
they were able to host the launch successfully.
More than 23 thousand
families benefit from the Pamaskong Handog in ten municipalities in
Samar.
Samar is one of the
31 poorest provinces that were given the gift as part of PGMA’s Hunger
Mitigation Program.
