OVP begins school bag distribution, tree planting

MANILA, Philippines — The Office of the Vice President (OVP) kicked off a nationwide distribution of one million bags containing school supplies and dental kits as well as the planting of one million trees under its “PagbaBAGo: A Million Learners and Trees” program.

Vice President Sara Duterte on Saturday led the launching at the Mandaue City Sports Complex in Cebu.

Tree planting and bag distribution were also simultaneously held in key areas in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

“We hope that in the six years, while we are the Office of the Vice President, the campaign will reach one million children and one million parents,” Duterte said in Cebuano.

The OVP, in partnership with the Departments of Education and of the Environment and Natural Resources, said that aside from promoting education, the campaign now includes a dental hygiene kit and environmental care lessons through tree planting.

“It is very important that we take care of our environment now for the benefit of the next generation,” Duterte said.

At least 1,000 Grades 1 and 4 students in Cebu, Isabela, Dagupan and Zamboanga were given the “PagbaBAGo” backpacks. In Bacolod and Surigao, a total of 1,019 and 1,009 learners received their backpacks, respectively.

In Tacloban, 1,015 backpacks were given and another 1,008 were distributed in several areas in Region V. A total of 1,002 learners from Davao and 1,006 learners in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao also received backpacks.