Christmas came early for some 3,000 Bulacan residents during the recent launch of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation's "Bawat Buhay Mahalaga Serbisyo Caravan."
The two-day event at the Bulacan Capitol Gymnasium took off from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s pledge to bring government services closer to local communities, according to PAGCOR chairman and CEO Alejandro H. Tengco.
"Christmas comes early to the people and the province of Bulacan because we will be giving away gifts that will last beyond Christmas – life-changing gifts because they will serve as a new beginning for our people," he said during the launch.
PAGCOR allocated P50 million for the caravan launch, covering educational grants for 2,000 students, 45 sari-sari store livelihood packages, more than 4,000 bicycle units and P5 million worth of hospital equipment for the Bulacan Medical Center.
Wheelchairs, medicines, food packs as well as reading glasses and canes were also handed out to senior citizens, on top of medical and dental consultations.
The educational grant for 2,000 students will cover both college and technical-vocational students who will each receive P10,000 every year in recognition of the importance of vocational and technical education to the growth of the country's industries, Tengco said.
PAGCOR partnered with the Bulacan provincial government, the Armed Forces of the Philippines Health Service Command, National University College of Dentistry, University of the Philippines Manila Chancellor's Office and UP Manila Ugnayan ng Pahinungod for the initial caravan.
Bulacan Governor Daniel Fernando expressed his gratitude to PAGCOR for choosing the province as the first recipient of the state gaming agency's service caravan.
After Bulacan, the caravan will go around the country to continue providing essential services, medical assistance and livelihood packages on a quarterly basis as one of PAGCOR's major corporate social responsibility initiatives.