Capas, Tarlac

Tuesday, February 6, 2007

Henry B. of Ft Washington, MD. has been a loyal supporter of FtH and has been requesting FtH assistance in Capas for some time. We have this chance right after the Bicol Tour to visit Capas. Leaving CFO in Manila about 8 AM, we traveled to Capas, Tarlac , about 3 hours away from Manila and met Henry and Ernie at the Capas Medical Center where their group is doing medical and dental mission. Their Mission of Mercy have about 80 doctors, dentists and assistants delivering services to the poor people in Capas and other towns of Tarlac. Bing B. later joined us in this trip.

With Jerry of CFO, Bing, Ernie, Tess and Pablito, we went to this remote Barangay on top of a mountain, where the solid waste of Capas were being processed. The mountain was planted with some trees but too young yet to provide some shades. The head of the Local Government Unit (LGU) and 200 recipient children were already waiting in an improvised tent to provide shelter from the heat of the sun (we were told that it was snowing and freezing in Virginia at that time). The kids are really dark colored from too much exposure to the sun, their hair is short and some are curly. At the top of the mountain, you can see the small houses of the residents some distance away and then on to forever, as far as your eyes can see. The Mayor, with about 4 security guys fully armed, started the program with thanking FtH for visiting Capas. Jerry talked about CFO and Tess explained the mission of FtH to the kids and some parents, who are mostly interested in the bags of goodies that they will receive. The kids left smiling after receiving their goody bags. We went back to town and had box lunch courtesy of the Mayor.

After taking a short break, we traveled on north to Luisita in Tarlac City to investigate some possible site for a classroom for pre-schooler, under the initiative of the PRISM. FtH has been collaborating with Dwight Penson of PRISM since 2004 in providing classrooms for pre-schooler for indigent families to give them a head start when they come of age and ready to go to the regular school. FtH have constructed classrooms through PRISM in Padre Burgos and Unisan in Quezon.

We completed the gift giving and site inspection in Tarlac and headed back home to Manila.

Pablito
Saturday, March 03, 2007