The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) has lauded the Julie’s Franchise Corporation (JFC) for going out of its way to provide with potable water the school children of agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) in Barangay Alambijud, Argao, Cebu City.
Municipal Agrarian Reform Officer Aida Gaviola said the JFC, known for its famous Julie’s Bakeshop, shouldered the cost of the potable water system worth P 650,000 for the benefit of the school community and local residents nearby.
“Since the school has no water supply, students normally spend the first hours of the class days fetching water from the nearest spring which is about an hour walk from and back to the school,” said Gaviola. “I think it’s about time to give the students a fresh minds and bodies to begin their classes,” she added.
“We learned, through DAR, that about 80% of these school children come from very poor farming families of the beneficiaries of the agrarian reform program, so we chose this school to benefit from our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Program,” said JFC HR manager Fatima Ruiz.
Ruiz said that CSR Program called the Julie’s Town Project is part of the support extended by JFC to selected barangays to help promote rural development.
The JFC also distributed school supplies, shirts, lunch boxes and snacks to the 276 students of the said school.
The University of San Carlos, on the other hand, extended their help too by providing school supplies to the students at half the market price. Proceeds of the school supplies will be matched by the local-government unit, which will be used in the improvement of the school facilities.
Regional Director Rodolfo Inson said this support from private sector is part of the DAR regional office’s program of forging public private partnerships and local resource mobilization to hasten implementation of development projects in the countryside community.
The DAR Region-VII has also other rural development projects, that encourage other private entities in implementing development projects for the poor farming communities, in Barangay Cangmonag in Siquijor, and Barangay Lawaan I in Talisay City. Dir. Hugo D. Yonzon III, PAS-DAR
