A total of 49,379 students, including 443 learners under the Special Education (SpEd) curriculum in 25 public elementary schools in Makati City, will be given raincoats and pair of rain boots in line with the city government’s advocacy for children’s well-being and safety.
“As promised, we have begun distributing new raincoats and a pair of rain boots to our young students from preschool to Grade 6, as well as SpEd learners, in our public schools this month. We want to make sure that they have adequate protection when they go to school especially during the rainy season,” Mayor Abigail Binay said.
Binay has initiated the inclusion of new rain gear for young school children in this year’s budget allocation for Project FREE (Free Relevant Excellent Education).
“We are continuously looking for ways to make our schoolchildren as safe and comfortable as possible. We saw the need to provide them with rain gear to protect them from the common cold and more serious water-borne diseases, and so we acted on it with dispatch,” she said.
The city chief executive also revealed that in the coming school year, the city government will be providing free school socks to the students in addition to the many benefits they are receiving through Project FREE.
“For as long as we can afford it, we are willing to provide our schoolchildren’s essential needs to ease the burden on their parents. They can instead spend more for their food and shelter needs,” said Binay.
Under the project, the city government provides public school students, from preschool to senior high, with free school supplies and ready-to-wear school uniforms, including black leather shoes and rubber shoes. Last school year, a new pair of rubber shoes was added to the growing list of freebies enjoyed by students under the same project.
Simultaneous with the ongoing distribution of rain gear, the Makati Health Department (MHD) has also been handing out to every student a “Dengue Kit,” a pouch bag containing one mosquito repellent lotion and one mosquito repellent bracelet.
Last Nov. 6, Mayor Binay led the distribution of raincoats and rain boots in seven elementary schools, including Rizal Elementary School (ES), which has the greatest number of public elementary students in the city at 6,060. She also attended the distribution done at Pembo ES with a total of 5,306 students, of which 96 are SpEd learners; East Rembo ES, 3,080; Fort Bonifacio ES and Comembo ES with 2,515 students each; West Rembo ES, 1,455; and Guadalupe Viejo ES with 1,105 students.
The next day, students and SpEd learners also got their rain gear in the following schools: Cembo ES with a total of 2,350 students; Pitogo ES, 1,800; Nemesio I. Yabut, 1,544 which include 113 SpEd learners; San Jose ES, 1,170; and South Cembo ES with 1,105 students.
On Nov. 15, the distribution will be held at Bangkal ES with 1,370 students; Bangkal ES I, 995; Hen. Pio Del Pilar ES Main with a total of 2,443 students which include 153 SpEd learners; Hen. Pio Del Pilar ES I, 1,220; Palanan ES, 2,143 which include 28 SpEd learners; San Antonio Village ES, 765 students; La Paz ES, 2,370; and Francisco Benitez ES III with 1,665 students.
On Nov. 16, students and SpEd learners in the remaining Makati public elementary schools are also set to receive their rain gear.
These include Francisco Benitez ES, 1,702, of which 37 are SpEd learners; Maximo Estrella ES, 1,550; Jose Magsaysay ES, 1,090; Nicanor Garcia ES, 1,000; and Makati ES with 1,061, which include 16 SpEd learners.
Last month, Binay also led the distribution of free hygiene and dental kits to public elementary school students in Makati. Each kit contained a toothbrush, toothpaste, bath soap, face towel, and a comb.
