49 Cotabato schoolchildren get eyeglasses

COTABATO CITY, Philippines — In observance of the Sight Saving Month in Cotabato province, 49 visually impaired elementary students, all from poor families in Libungan town, received free eyeglasses on Thursday, the provincial government announced.

The eyeglass distribution was conducted by employees of the provincial government, town executives and school officials, as part of the activities of the month-long observance.

According to the office of Gov. Emmylou Taliño-Mendoza, ophthalmologists from the Cotabato provincial health office and school nurses screened the recipients to determine their eyesight problems and the ophthalmic interventions they need.

The provincial government said the parents of the 49 students are earning just enough for the daily needs of their families.

The students are children of farmers, public market and transport terminal laborers, tricycle drivers and vendors of fruits and vegetables at the town‘s public market.