It was another Rotary Day, but this time, the team led by President Bing Matoto had a special destination: Isabela, for a series of impactful Rotary activities.
The day started with a chartered plane ride from Pasay, courtesy of Director Winston Uy, taking them on an hour-long journey over the picturesque fields of northern Luzon before arriving at Cauayan airport.
Their first stop was a visit to a tobacco field in Reina Mercedes, managed by Universal Leaf, as part of a vocational tour. Here, they witnessed a demonstration of the process of curing or drying tobacco in barns after harvest.
Next, the team visited Mallalantang Elementary School, where over 100 eager schoolchildren belonging to families of farmers in Cauayan were waiting in the shade to greet them. The school is the beneficiary of books from the club’s “Books Across the Seas” program, which dovetails with Universal Leaf's “Let's Play After School Program.” This joint initiative also included the donation of educational toys and equipment for physical activities like basketball, volleyball, and badminton.
A short program followed, with messages of support from President Bing Matoto and Director Winston Uy, highlighting the importance of education and community involvement.
The team then enjoyed a quick lunch, graced by the presence of Mayor Malou of Reina Mercedes, before proceeding to the main purpose of their trip ─ the launch of the “Functional Literacy Program,” in partnership with Teach for the Philippines, at the San Fermin Elementary School. This program, supported by RC Makati with a donation of P400K, aims to benefit 300 public school students by developing their basic literacy and numeracy skills, with a focus on involving guardians to facilitate learning at home. A tour of classrooms that needed repairs ensued right after the program, where a request for a school library was made by the school principal to Pres. Bing.
Next, the group paid a visit to the Philippine Red Cross branch where they were met by the Red Cross staff and members of our brother club, RC Cauayan to show the refrigerant for storage of blood that RC Cauayan was able to secure a Global Grant for with RC Singapore.
They also discussed with Pres Bing a possible co-funding for another cold storage for collected blood in the facility.
The day was capped by a fellowship dinner at the ULPI guest house where partners and participants from ULPI, Teach the Philippines, and RC Cauayan merged to celebrate a full day of service with a sumptuous dinner buffet and overflowing drinks hosted by Director Winston Uy,
The Rotary Day in Isabela was a true reflection of Rotary's ideals of Service and Fellowship, showcasing the impact that can be made when individuals from different regions come together with a common goal of making a difference in their community.
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