DepEd targets 1M donated school kits to feed 350k studes struck by Yolanda

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MANILA — The Department of Education (DepEd) is targeting a donation of one million school kits and the feeding of about 350,000 students through its campaign launch of Dalawang Daan Tungo sa Paaralan.

“One of the keys to recovery of post-Yolanda is ensuring that the kids in the affected areas continue their education,” says DepEd undersecretary for Partnerships and External Linkages Mario Deriquito.

Interested donors can sponsor a school kit or additional ingredients needed for the feeding program for just P200.

Ingredients that will be purchased from donations will be mixed with Vitameal, a food solution containing essential vitamins and minerals. These foods will be served to students in the affected areas five times a week for two months, Deriquito said.

Meanwhile, the school kits include a backpack, four notebooks, two pads of paper, an eight-piece pack of crayons, two ballpens, and two pencils.

“We want to address two of the students’ key issues–food and school supplies–so that the children will be encouraged to return to school and get a sense of normalcy. Helping them go back to school will also ensurethat their education will not be further disrupted,” Deriquito explained.

Individual donations and pledges will be accepted by the program. Companies may also avail a tax incentive under the Adopt-A-School program.

Donations for school kits may be sent to the National Bookstore Foundation, Inc. through their BPI account (Acct. # 006-1054-057) while donations for the feeding program may be sent to Assisi Development Foundation -Hapag-Asa through their BPI account (Acct. # 243-1007-323).

Interested donors may contact the Office of the Undersecretary for Partnerships and External Linkages at (+632) 633-7207, 638-8637, and 638-8639.

For the feeding program, they may also contact Romy Parayno at rbparayno@gmail.com (for school kits), and Florence de Castro at florence.decastro@deped.gov.ph.