Philippine Edition

   Issue No. 2 >> April 2005

     M  A  I  N    P  A  G  E :  Corporate - Social Responsibilities

Alay Bata - Outreach Program (March 20, 2005)

          Twenty seven pupils have died and more than 115 were in critical condition after eating the deep fried sugar-coated cassava for recess at the San Jose Elementary School in Mabini town in Bohol.  Health officials said that the sweets could have been infected by pesticides.  Although it is still unclear as to how the pesticides could have infected the cassava, it may have happened during the preparation process.  The flour-like pesticide could have been mistakenly added as ingredient to the “maruya”.  Cassava or “kamoteng kahoy” is a tropical food crop widely grown around the Asian region. In many impoverished Philippine towns, like Mabini, it is a substitute for rice.

          The Mactan Export Processing Zone Traffic Association or MEPZTRA and Yusen Cebu, together with other support groups left for Bohol to share its blessings with the community.  MEPZTRA is an association of impex-in-charge of companies located in the Mactan Economic Zone and other special PEZA zones in Cebu.  Instead of having their Induction of Officers, they’ve decided to spend the allocated funds for a good cause.  The group has prepared a school kit for every child.  It included a knapsack bag, inside are 8 pieces notebooks, 5 pieces pencils, 3 pieces ball pens, a big eraser, pair of scissors, box of crayons, ruler and a face towel.  Yusen Cebu took care of the group’s transportation to Bohol and the logistics requirement from packing to delivery of the more than 300-kilogram school kits to San Jose, Mabini, Bohol.

          It was a rainy Sunday morning of March 20 when we arrived in San Jose, Mabini.  It was a 3-hour long drive from Talibon town (in Bohol) where the group spent overnight.  Families, after hearing mass, were gathered by the barangay captain at the barrio’s multi-purpose ground.  With the help of school teachers and a social worker, the distribution began.  The objective of the group in giving school supplies to these children was to motivate them to go back to school. The deaths and illnesses of so many children, aged 7 to 13, has traumatized this small town of about 27,000 people, which was ill-prepared and ill-equipped to deal with this kind of life’s challenges.   

          The activity ended with kind thankful words from a saddened mother who broke in tears before ending her speech. Sympathy and prayers are what they need right now, especially the children.  A mother shared her story of losing her only child days before his graduation.  It was even more heartbreaking to know her son was the first honor candidate of his batch. 

          It was past 12 noon when we wrapped up and went our way to Tubigon port (in Bohol) for our journey back home.  There was a mixed feeling of happiness and sadness, fulfillment and guilt. Why do these children go through this kind of ordeal?  Is there anything I can do to protect them?  But then, the heavy feeling escape from within when you see the innocent child’s smile as he received the gifts.  For some joys are better expressed in silence, as a smile holds more meaning than laughter.

By: Alex Tan / Yusen Cebu Branch

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