AAMBIS-OWA PARTY-LIST CARES FOR ILONGGO DAY CARE CENTER KIDS

AAMBIS-OWA PARTY-LIST CARES

FOR ILONGGO DAY CARE CENTER KIDS

Farmer’s voice in Congress, AAMBIS-Owa Party-list continues to implement the day care center project dubbed as “Bayanihan Para sa Musmos na Kabataan” which has been designed to rehabilitate and upgrade the child care facilities.

Over 200 day care pupils—infants to four-year-olds—in the 4th class municipality of Guimbal and 2nd class municipality of San Joaquin in Iloilo province are the intended beneficiaries of the recent leg of the continuing project.

“We supplement the efforts of the government and take upon ourselves to help improve the day care facilities whenever we can. After all, the clients of these facilities are poor farmers and their families who we represent in Congress,” AAMBIS-Owa Party-list Representative Sharon S. Garin said.

AAMBIS-Owa tapped the “Bayanihan spirit” within and among the parents-teachers associations (PTA), youth volunteers, barangay officials, the Department of Social Welfare and Development, and the Local Government Units to make the project possible.

The 61 year-old PTA President Mrs. Erlinda J. Cuenca is one of those who volunteered to help clean and improve the day care facilities of Brgy. Guibongan-Bayunan day care center in San Joaquin.

“I’m still strong and capable; I don’t mind the manual labor. I’m doing this for my three year-old granddaughter. I love what I do,” Mrs. Cuenca said in Hiligaynon.

The AAMBIS-Owa Party-list donated toys, different appliances such as television and electric fans, and carpentry materials.

The local government units of Guimbal and San Joaquin contributed toys, carpentry materials, and educational materials, while the DSWD provided kitchen and eating utensils. In addition, they also provided technical assistance to the day care center personnel.

 The PTAs devised instructional materials for use during day care hours.

Barangay officials, LGU staff, and parents provided the manpower for the carpentry and painting of the day care centers. They also provided snacks for the working groups.

 The five (5) day care centers located in Barangays Cabubugan, Lubacan, Libo-on, Igcocolo, Sipitan in Guimbal and  the five (5) centers located in Barangays Balabago, Cata-an, Purok 4, Guibungan-Bayunan, Amboyu-an in San Joaquin are the beneficiaries of the Bayanihan this June and July.

Rep. Garin said the project is partly inspired by the first 1000 days program of the UNICEF, which has found out that proper nourishment on the first 1000 days of children from conception until 2 years old is very crucial in terms of their physical and intellectual development.

Aside from adequate nutrition, the importance of early childhood education and development was also given a nudge towards the right direction.

All local government units (LGUs) nationwide are mandated by Republic Act 6972 (Barangay Level Total Development and Protection of Children Act) to establish one day care center in every barangay. As of 2013, there were 52, 665 day care centers nationwide. /MP