BARAS, Rizal- As the Department of Education prepared for the opening of classes in August, a youth council in a village here has started distributing free learning materials for pre-schoolers to help parents prepare their children for the start of homeschooling this coming school year.

The Sangguniang Kabataan ng Pinugay (SK Pinugay), in Barangay Pinugay, has been going house to house to distribute learning materials, school supplies, and face masks to their neighbors in day care, under their "Edu-Aksyon: Educational Supplies Kit and Face Mask Distribution" program.

SK Pinugay Chairperson Pauline Arimado, who is also the president of the SK Federation in the whole of Baras town, told Manila Bulletin that the hardship that her fellow Pinugay residents are facing during this pandemic, particularly those in the remote communities where most of the residents are living in the poverty level, has made them think of a project that would benefit students from poor families.

The officials and some members of the SK Pinugay repack the educational materials, consisting of activity books, pencils, pens, crayons, and face masks for distribution to children below six years old, or those who are incoming kindergarten level.

Since the start of the distribution early this week, at least four sitios (small communities) in the village have been reached by the barangay youth council's project.

Arimado said her group is also targeting to distribute learning materials and face masks to all the qualified barangay residents before August: 6,000 in elementary, and some 5,000 students in junior to senior high school.   

The SK Pinugay said the funds of the youth council that were supposed to be used for other community projects have been re-aligned purposely for this present project, as most of the programs could no longer be implemented during this time of pandemic.

Arimado said their group’s project has the full support of school principals in their village, who are submitting to the youth council the list of names of the students who need to be benefited by the program.

“It is very heartwarming to see the parents and children very happy as they got hold of the  learning materials during our distribution activity,” Arimado added.

Arimado, who holds a BS Technology degree from the University of Rizal System-Binangonan Campus, said she and her fellow youth officials are also planning to volunteer as tutors for day care kids in their community.