CASS donates school supplies to students
by Ian S. Embradura, OPI
For eight years, the College of Arts and Social Sciences (CASS) has been running the program “Sagip-Aral”. It is the brainchild of Atty. Felicidad C. Gadiano, faculty of the CASS Political Science Department.
Each year, the CASS with the help and support of various individuals and organizations organizes two major gift giving events for the beneficiaries of Sagip Aral. During each start of a school year, CASS gives out school supplies to more than 100 student-beneficiaries from Barangay Santiago and every Christmas, CASS gifts the student-beneficiaries and their families with food items for their noche Buena.
The Sagip-Aral Program held its distribution school supplies on June 24 at the MSU-IIT Mini-theater. This year, 85 student-beneficiaries who are currently enrolled in elementary and secondary schools received school bags, school supplies (notebooks, pad papers, reading materials, pens, crayons, pencils), slippers, and umbrellas from the College. Aside from giving out school supplies, it has also been a tradition that during the program, student-beneficiaries and their parents and siblings participate in games and enjoy the snacks prepared for them.
This June’s Sagip Aral gift-giving was made possible not only through the efforts of CASS and Atty. Gadiano, the Program Coordinator but also of individuals that CASS is grateful for and these are: the cash donors namely, Erma Darunday, Marchris Travelling Agency, Eugene Legazpi and Company, Political Science Students Class of 2015, Atty. Edgar Alan Donasco, Dr. Marie Joy Banawa, Dr. Angelina Santos, Akima Bangcola, Prof. Nora Clar, General Education Students Organization, MSU-IIT National Multi-Purpose Cooperative, and an anonymous individual; and in kind donors namely, Glyness Catering and Dr. Angelina Santos for the slippers, and the CASS Executive Council and students for the school supplies, and Acting Mayor Rudy Marzo for the porridge.
Sagip-Aral which initially started as an extension program has grown as a research program under the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Extension entitled Sagip Aral, Sagip Buhay: Mula sa Bundok ng Basura Tungo sa Eskwela.
Parents of student-beneficiaries were also given a livelihood program in which they make bleach, hand soap, and dishwashing soap that they can sell for added income. The Institute Janitorial Services has been ordering and purchasing its bleach from the Sagip Aral parents.
In the last enrolment for freshmen, four student-beneficiaries from the Sagip Aral Program enrolled in the General Education Program of CASS. These students are a testament that indeed CASS, through Sagip Aral, has been helping and empowering the lives of the people in the dumpsites of Barangay Santiago.
Topics : Sapig Aral