CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga, Oct. 7 (PIA) -- About 55 elderly residents at the Bahay Pag-Ibig Home for the Aged benefitted from the outreach activity led by the Philippine Information Agency (PIA).

Donations include food and non-food items including alcohol, bleach solution, face masks, bath soap, toothpaste, canned juice, canned sardines, assorted biscuits, and fresh milk.

PIA Regional Director William Beltran said the activity is part of the agency's #ProjectHatidMalasakit which aims to extend help and assistance to the most vulnerable sectors of society.

"Through this project, we want our beneficiaries to feel that the government is always there for them, especially during times of uncertainties. For this year, we have chosen Bahay Pag-Ibig to be our beneficiary as part of the celebration of the Elderly Filipino Week," Beltran said.

Aside from PIA, other government agencies who are members of the Regional Coordinating and Monitoring Board (RCMB) for senior citizens also joined the outreach activity including the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) which donated sacks of rice and assorted maintenance medicines; and Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Trade and Industry and Department of Education which turned over cash donations.

For her part, Sheryl Santos of DSWD said RCMB aims to protect the welfare of senior citizens, as she called on the public to continue giving time and effort to the elders in our society.

In addition, Dinna Tolentino of PhilHealth said they are thankful enough for the opportunity to share voluntary donations for the elderly.

"For the past three years, we've been doing walk for life but for this year, it's a special celebration in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is very important for us so every year, we make it a point to make our senior citizens feel special, to give this moment to them, because they are an important sector of our society," Tolentino said.

Meanwhile, in behalf of the elders, Bahay Pag-ibig, Inc. Director Ricarthy Dungo expressed thanks to the RCMB members for sharing their resources to the elders who he said, play a crucial role in the society.

"The role of elders is important because they are the source of wisdom and inspiration on how to deal with our lives. Here in Bahay Pag-Ibig, we do our best to give support to the less fortunate, abandoned, and destitute elderly by providing them basic home care, health care, spiritual, and psychological care," he said.

Aside from food and non-food items, Dungo also called on possible benefactors who will be willing to donate face masks, disinfectants, and anti-pneumonia vaccines to the staff and elders in order to further protect them from the coronavirus disease. (CLJD/MJSC-PIA 3)