(Balanga City, Bataan) Some 500 families from Balanga City, Bataan received on January 28 “Bags of Blessing” donated by Metrobank Foundation, Inc. and the George Ty Foundation.

The distribution was held at the Doña Francisca Covered Court in this city with DSWD officials led by Undersecretary Virginia Orogo and Mr. Gener Payabyab, Area Head of Metrobank North Luzon Area 2.

Mr. Payabyab said that the project, which is part of the tradition in the celebration of Chinese New Year, aims to distribute 10,000 bags of groceries worth P1,000 each to 10,000 poor families in selected towns and cities in Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao, and the National Capital Region (NCR). The GT Foundation headed by Mr. George Ty has allocated a total of P10 million worth of donation packages for the Chinese New Year gift-giving activity, Payabyab added.

Undersecretary Orogo thanked the Foundation for helping the underprivileged families. She also encouraged the beneficiaries to be ‘masikap’ (zealous) and said that DSWD programs are here to help them so that nobody will be left behind. She also urged them to make their community a drug-free community and peaceful community.

DSWD Field Office III Regional Director Gemma B. Gabuya, City Councilor Benjie Meriño, Balanga City CSWDO Gloria Abejar, Pantawid Pamilya Provincial Link Elena Dones also witnessed the gift giving activity. ### (Evelyn T. Manalo)