A student receives a new school bag with school supplies from a Sagip Kapamilya Officer.

It was a five-hour drive from Quezon City, with the traffic and the rain, to reach Laiya-Aplaya, a far flung barangay in San Juan, Batangas.

Recently, Sagip Kapamilya conducted its Ronda Eskwela Project in Aplaya Elementary School and Wenceslao I. Llana Memorial Elementary School in Laiya-Aplaya where 902 students from kindergarten to grade six received school supplies, t-shirts, bags, and pairs of shoes and slippers.

Aplaya ES and Wenceslao I. Llana MES are two schools affected by Typhoon Glenda last 2014. Krystal Valdez, a grade six student of Aplaya ES recalled that during the Typhoon, all her notebooks were wet and dilapidated. It has been two years but it remained fresh in the mind of the 11 year old girl who is also running as the class valedictorian. When the school year started, she worries that she does not have yet a complete set of notebooks for her classes. “Hindi na po ako mag-aaalala kung saan ko po isusulat ang mga aralin namin dahil po yung iba po sinusulat na lang po namin sa likod ng notebook ng ibang subjects.”

With the new school supplies given, she said it inspired her more to study better despite being affected by the demolition in Sitio Balacbacan where they used to live back in 2014.

Meanwhile, at a young age of seven, Noah Gamil, a grade two student shared, “Maraming maraming salamat po sa Sagip Kapamilya. Pagbubutihan ko ang aking pag-aaral para makapagtapos ng kolehiyo at makapag trabaho nang mabuti.”

Emma Javier, the principal of the two schools, likewise expressed her gratitude, “Sa pagbubukas ng klase sa taong panuruang ito, kami ay lubos na nagpapasalamat. Ito'y isang napaka laking tulong para sa amin.”

Noah Gamil and Krystel Valdez, two among the 902 student beneficiaries of Sagip Kapamilya’s Ronda Eskwela Project in Laiya-Aplaya, San Juan, Batangas.

This has been the second time of Sagip Kapamilya to visit Aplaya Elementary School and distribute school supplies. Sagip Kapamilya plans to reach more schools and give hope to more children in need.