The city government here is now preparing the free school uniforms for public school students which are set to be distributed for the upcoming school year (2023-2024).
Part of the uniforms are produced by the homebased mananahis who are employed under the Angeleño First Livelihood Program, launched by Mayor Carmelo “Pogi” Lazatin, Jr.
The city government hired and paid 115 women for the said livelihood project – mostly solo parents, persons with disability (PWDs), stay-at-home parents, and women’s group to produce school uniforms.
According to Lazatin, the city government targets to produce 22,000 sets of school uniforms for day care, kindergarten and Grade 1 public school students which are set to be distributed before the start of the next academic year.
The other 78,000 sets of uniforms were procured by the city government, thru the General Services Office, Lazatin explained.
One of the promises of Mayor Lazatin is to provide quality and accessible education, saying “No Angeleño youth will be left behind in terms of education.”
“Poverty must never be an excuse for not giving our children a chance for a brighter future,” Lazatin claimed.
“Malaki ang pasalamat namin kay Mayor Pogi na binigyan kami ng extra na pagkakakitaan nang dahil sa pananahi. Masaya rin kami na nakakatulong dahil ang mga tinatahi namin tulad nung PPEs at facemask ay napupunta sa mga health workers at ngayon naman ay mga school uniforms na mabibigay naman sa mga estudyante,” Zenaida Dizon, homebased mananahi from Barangay Tabun, said.
To recall, Mayor Lazatin led the distribution of 100,000 pairs of free shoes, t-shirts, bags, and school supplies to the city’s 57 public schools last year.
Some 2,213 day care students — 1,062 boys and 1,151 girls — were also provided with a wooden chair each, tables, school supplies, Vitamin C and multivitamin supplements.