LEBAK, SULTAN KUDARAT— The Bangsamoro Women Commission (BWC), chaired by Bainon Karon, brought on Thursday, Feb. 10, its Kalinga Alay sa Kababaihan Program to the indigent Bangsamoros living in the municipalities of Lebak and Kalamansig in Sultan Kudarat Province.
A total of 150 women each received a 25-kilo sack of rice, 150 mothers received grocery items, 120 women senior citizen received grocery packs with 5-kilo rice, while other beneficiaries received school supplies, slippers, malong, kopya, hijab, and meals were provided to the children.
“Tulad ng aking nasabi kanina kahit malayo kayo at nasa labas ng BARMM ay hindi namin kayo pababayaan at iiwan,” said Karon, who is also a Member of the Parliament (MP).
“Bilang chairperson ng BWC ay nais kong tiyakin na hindi magkakaroon ng diskriminasyon laban sa mga kababaihan […] sa madaling salita, ipakita at patunayan natin na tayong mga kababaihang Bangsamoro ay may likas na kakayahan upang gampanan ang anumang i-aatang sa ating mga balikat,” she added.
The Office of MP Karon also granted P2,500 cash assistance to 150 senior citizens.
The Ministry of Health (MOH) also joined the activity by providing free medical check-up, circumcision, eye check-up with eye glasses, minor surgery assessment, laboratory, hygiene kits, and haircut.
The beneficiaries were from the barangays of Salaman, Datu Karon, Keti, Tran, Poloy-Poloy and Kinudalan in Lebak, and barangays Cadiz, Datu Ho Adiong, Nalilidan, and Pag-asa in Kalamansig. Some residents of Barangay Laguitan in Datu Blah Sinsuat, Maguindanao also benefited from the activity.
“This is the second time na naglungsad ng tulong ang BARMM sa aming lugar, una naghatid sila ng Ramadhan food packs noong nakaraang taon,” said to Barangay Salaman Chairman Danny Angkay.
Meanwhile, Lebak Mayor Frederick Celestial expressed gratitude to the Bangsamoro Government and BWC for reaching out to the Bangsamoro communities living outside the region’s core territories.
“Libo-libong sako ng bigas ang tulong at iba pang bagay at serbisyo ang pumasok dito sa ating bayan. Maraming salamat po, alam ko po yan dahil lahat ng pumasok na bigas sa lebak ay track ng munisipyo ang naghahatid,” Celestial said.
The BWC also conducted a women conversation with senior citizens to evaluate and assist to their their needs, and help them build and register their organization.
The activity was also held in partnership with MPs Albakil Jakiri, Susana Anayatin, Muslimin Jakilan, Maisara Dandamun-Latiph, Diamila Ramos, Abdulmuhmin Mujahid, Ministry of Social Services and Development (MSSD), National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) Region 12, security sector and the Local Government Unit of Sultan Kudarat. (Myrna Tepadan/BIO)
