Ocampo, Camarines Sur – Raising four kids with a measly income is a challenge for Virginia Navarro. But like any parent, she dreams of seeing her children attain a good education and a better life when they grow up.

Virginia’s income as a laundrywoman and her husband’s earnings as a tricycle driver could not cover all the needs of their family – including their children’s education. Even buying school supplies for them often leaves a big dent in their wallets.

Despite their family’s financial limitations, Virginia is happy that her kids persevere and do well in school.

Recently, she had more reasons to be happy when the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) went to Hanawan Elementary School (HES) here to distribute backpacks and school supplies to students, including Virginia’s three sons.

Over 3,000 students from selected public elementary schools in the Bicol Region became the first beneficiaries of PAGCOR’s “School Kits for the Kids”, a project which aims to provide school supplies and hygiene kits to underprivileged primary school pupils in public schools nationwide.

PAGCOR allotted P33.12 million for the purchase of at least 30,000 backpacks to be distributed to school kids before the end of school year 2017 to 2018.

The school supplies and hygiene kits were distributed to various public elementary schools in Camarines Sur (Tigaon, Ocampo, Sangay) and Albay (Ligao City, Tabaco City and Polangui) by PAGCOR President and Chief Operating Officer (COO) Alfredo Lim and Director Rene Concordia.

According to Lim, President Rodrigo Duterte directed PAGCOR to prioritize projects that cater to the needs of less privileged Filipinos. “Pinagbilin ng ating Presidente na huwag pababayaan ang mga bata sa probinsya lalung-lalo na ang mga mahihirap. We provided school supplies for the school children so they could study conveniently. Ang gusto natin lahat ng mga batang ito, maging successful at makapag-aral lalo na ngayong nilagdaan na ng Pangulo ang free tuition sa college,” Lim said.

According to an international children’s organization, the Philippines has around 6.2 million primary-school children in the country who are not in school. One of the factors that affect their schooling is lack of school supplies and facilities.

This is also one of the problems of of Tigaon Central Pilot School (TCPS), the biggest and the leading public elementary school in Tigaon, Camarines Sur.

TCPS Principal Evelyn Ilustre said that many of their students come from poor families and a lot of them would go to school without supplies. “Sa hirap ng buhay sa probinsya, may mga studyante kami na pumapasok na walang papel o lapis. I would tell our teachers to always bring extra papers and pencils that they could give to students who have none,” Ilustre shared.

Fortunately, their school also received school kits from PAGCOR. “Malaking bagay sa mga bata ang maka-tanggap ng ganito para mas lalo silang mag-sipag sa pag-aaral,” she said.

Aside from HES and TCPS, other schools that received school and hygiene kits were Tigaon North Central School, Huyonhuyon Elementary School, Vinagre Elementary School, Malodbalod Elementary School, Nato Elementary School, Ocampo Central School, Pinit Elementary School, Moriones Elementary School and Balaba Elementary School.

Through the years, PAGCOR has been staunchly supporting the education sector by providing quality learning to public school students. Apart from the distribution of school kits to school children, the agency has also built thousands of classrooms nationwide, spearheaded feeding programs for school children and participated in the Department of Education’s annual Brigada Eskwela project.

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