CEBU CITY – Personnel of a police station in Mandaue City will shoulder the studies of at least 15 children for one school year.
The Police Station 2 of the Mandaue City Police Office (MCPO) Wednesday, August 17, launched its “Iskolar ni Tsip” program.
Beneficiaries of the program will come from Barangays Subangdaku, Bakilid, and Tipolo, which are part of the station’s area of jurisdiction. The beneficiaries will be given school supplies and complete set of uniform and shoes in preparation for the opening of the coming school year.
Under the program, which is spearheaded by Police Major Romeo Caacoy Jr., chief of the Police Station 2, the children will also be given additional support system through the “Pulis sa Barangay” (PSB) in which the pupils’ school activities will be monitored throughout the school year.
The program’s beneficiaries, who were present during the launching, are out-of-school youths, abandoned children, and those whose parents are not capable of sending them to school.
Apart from the personnel of Station 2, private stakeholders are also backing the program, said Caacoy.
“The Police Station 2 is willing to support this program and help less-fortunate children. Our beneficiaries are Grade 1 pupils up to high school students. The most senior is Grade 8,” said Caacoy.
Caacoy said the BSP will play a key role in the program.
“The BSP will monitor if the beneficiaries are continuing with their studies. If there will be pupils who will quit schooling, we will find out the reason because apart from material things, we will also provide emotional support,” Caacoy said.
Those who will decide to stop schooling despite the BSP’s intervention will be dropped from the program.
A parent of one of the beneficiaries became emotional after watching her child receive school supplies from Station 2 personnel.
Maria Fe Ouano, 29, said the program will be a big help especially for a mother like her who is having difficulty sending her children to school.
“I have two children and I want them to go to school,” said Ouano, whose nine-year-old son is one of the program’s beneficiaries.