» Malabon fire victims receive aid

GMA Kapuso Foundation gave immediate relief assistance to fire victims in Brgy. Potrero, Malabon City last May 7, 2010. A total of 180 families or 720 individuals received packs of food and clothing while GMAKF’s soup kitchen served cup noodles to 1,728 individuals.

» Kalusugan Karavan reaches Cebu

GMA Kapuso Foundation brought its roaming medical mission, dubbed Kalusugan Karavan, to Cebu last April 9, 2010. The Karavan addressed the medical needs of 1,909 indigents coming from nine barangays in Cebu.  Free medical consultations were provided by 47 volunteer doctors while Pharex HealthCorp. provided free medicines.

» GMAKF assists Tondo fire victims

A total of 172 families, equivalent to 688 individuals, whose homes were razed by fire last March 18, 2010, in Tondo, Manila received immediate relief assistance from the GMA Kapuso Foundation (GMAKF). Affected residents received packs of food, clothing, mats, blankets and other goods. GMAKF also set up a soup kitchen which served more than a hundred individuals with hot soup.

» Unang Hakbang Sa Kinabukasan enters 14th year

The GMA Kapuso Foundation (GMAKF) launched its 14^th Unang Hakbang Sa Kinabukasan (UHSK) Project at Ever Gotesco Mall in Commonwealth, Quezon City last March 18, 2010. Highlight of the event was the symbolic turnover ceremony of UHSK school bags from selected outgoing grade one students to selected incoming grade one students from the San Gabriel Elementary School, beneficiary of the 2009 and 2010 Unang Hakbang Sa Kinabukasan. Present were Director IV Dr. Yolanda Quijano and OIC Assistant Chief Chit Singayan of the Department of Education Bureau of Elementary Education, Education Supervisor II Ginia Santos of the Department of Education NCR, Executive Vice President & COO Carmela “Mel” Tiangco of the GMA Kapuso Foundation, Ever Gotesco Mall owners Lourdes Ortiga and Evelyn Go, Ever Gotesco Mall and Go Tong Foundation personnel, GMAKF employees, and San Gabriel Elementary School teachers and students.

 

UHSK is a response to a survey conducted by the Department of Education which revealed that the lack or absence of school materials was the major reason Grade One students dropped of First Grade in Public Elementary Schools. This is especially true in far-flung and underserved areas of the country. This prompted GMAKF to initiate a project that provided incoming Grade One pupils with a backpack filled with notebooks, pad paper, pencils, crayons, sharpener, and eraser needed in school. UHSK is now conducted annually before school opening, with supplies replenishment given in October.   

 

The target number of UHSK children beneficiaries this year is 45,000 from underserved public elementary school nationwide. Areas to be covered include Quezon City, Pasig, Manila, Marikina, Parañaque, Caloocan, Valenzuela, Malabon, Navotas, Taguig, Pateros, Rizal, Mountain Province, Pangasinan, Ilocos Sur, Cagayan, Quirino, Bulacan, Laguna, Marinduqe, Albay, Sorsogon, Iloilo, Cebu, Siquijor, Davao del Sur, Sultan Kudarat, Surigao del Norte, Maguindanao, Sulu and Basilan.

» Cebu GMA Regional TV personnel render relief assistance to Mandaue City fire victims

Through the assistance and support of Cebu GMA Regional TV personnel the GMA Kapuso Foundation’s packs of relief goods were immediately distributed to affected residents of a fire incident in Sitio Aroma, Brgy Subangdaku in Mandaue, last March 12, 2010. A total of 700 families or 2,800 individuals in Mandaue received food assistance from this Operation Bayanihan of GMAKF.

» GMAKF launches Give-A-Gift: Feed A Child Program in Pililia, Rizal

The GMA Kapuso Foundation (GMAKF), in partnership with the National Nutrition Council (NNC), Philippine Nutrition Action Office, Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI), and Municipal Social Welfare and Development (MSWD) launched its Give-A-Gift: Feed A Child program in Brgy. Imatong at  Pililia, Rizal last March 9, 2010. A total of 340 malnourished children from Brgy. Bagumbayan, Brgy. Imatong, Brgy. Hulo, Brgy. Wawa and Brgy. Takungan in Pililia were identified as beneficiaries of the feeding program.

 

This bi-annual feeding program of GMAKF began in 2001 and is aimed at improving the health of identified children with below normal nutritional status through a 120-day supplementary feeding program prescribed by the National Nutrition Council for children 0-71 months old.

 

GMAKF chose to serve Pililia this year as it ranked first on the Philippine Nutrition Action Office’s 2009 study on Prevalence of Malnutrition. Pililia has the highest incidence of malnutrition in children. The weight of the 340 children beneficiaries will be monitored until they attain the normal weight required for their age. Parents or guardians of the feeding beneficiaries are oriented about proper nutrition. Through this project, parents learn the basics of food preparation and the nutritional value of the meals they prepare for their families.

 

 

 

 

» Kapuso School Rehabilitation (KSR) Project to reconstruct and rehabilitate 85 classrooms in Luzon

The GMA Kapuso Foundation’s Ondoy-Pepeng disaster relief activities has evolved into long term projects. This includes the reconstruction and rehabilitation of public elementary school buildings which were badly damaged by the typhoon’s wrath, dubbed Kapuso School Rehabilitation (KSR) project.

 

The KSR Project will benefit 85 classrooms in 20 schools in Luzon, including Rizal, Ilocos, Pangasinan, La Union, and Benguet. This project was coordinated with the Department of Education to ensure that the selected school recipients truly need rehabilitation assistance.

 

The initial target of 20 school-recipients are currently undergoing simultaneous construction and repair in order to have them ready by school opening in June 2010.

 

GMAKF further partnered with the Philippine Constructors Association (PCA), an organization engaged in building construction, to facilitate the completion of the remaining target schools. GMAKF and PCA formalized their partnership in a MOA signing held at the GMA Network Complex in Quezon City last February 23, 2010.

 

 

» GMAKF marks Oral Health Month of DOH: Ngiting Kapuso 2010

February is designated as the Oral Health Month of the Department of Health. GMA Kapuso Foundation marks this event by providing free dentures to deserving indigent individuals though its Ngiting Kapuso Project.

 

GMAKF recognizes the impact of oral health care, thus its provision of dentures to improve the lives of people who have lost their self-confidence due to loss or incomplete set of teeth. Partners of GMAKF for this 3^rd Ngiting Kapuso Project are Centro Escolar University, College of Dentistry and various Philippine Dental Association Chapters and the Philippine Association of Private School Dentist, Inc. .

 

A total of 81 beneficiaries received 2-6 upper frontal anterior artificial teeth last February 26, 2010 at CEU-College of Dentistry. They went home with big smiles and new-found self esteem.

 

 

 

 

» GMA Kapuso Foundation Reached out to Families Affected by Mt. Mayon Eruption

After a week of puffing out clouds of volcanic dust and bursting out of lava fountains, intensified seismic activities brought by volcanic earthquakes has caused the evacuation of thousand of families living near Mount Mayon.

The GMA Kapuso Foundation quickly responded to the needs of the families affected by the volcanic eruption. A total of 2,809 families, equivalent to 11,236 individuals from 12 barangays in four municipalities in Albay, were served with relief goods, clothing, blankets/mats, mineral water, bath soap, and diapers. Medicines such as paracetamols and cough medicines were also distributed to the evacuees as respiratory problems and skin diseases aroused caused by volcanic ashes.

On the 21^st of December, in the Municipality of Camalig, four baragays were served: Brgy. Quirangay (400 families), Brgy. Sua (358 families), Brgy. Tumpa (294 families) and Brgy. Cabangan (200 families). In addition, two (2) Brgys. in the Municipality of Guyinobatan, namely: Brgy.  Maninila (380 families) and  Brgy. Sitio Basiao (81 families) were also served on the same day.

On the following day, December 22, the Kapuso Foundation team distributed goods for the evacuees of five barangays of 3 Municipalities. Bgry. Anoling (270 families) and Brgy. Baligang (120) in the Municipality of Camalig; Brgy Baligang (350 families) in the Municipality of Ligao; Brgy. San Roque (275) and Brgy. Bogtong (81) in the Municipality of Legaspi City.