Campus queen helps out babies

CEBU, Philippines —  An incoming third year civil engineering student from the Cebu Institute of Technology-University has gone the extra mile again, this time helping babies from locked down families here in Cebu City.

In close to four months, Angela Lapinosa, along with the support of the Cebuano Youth Ambassadors, has already helped out over 600 infants and kids in seven barangays.

“I was inspired to do this when I read a post of moms from Sitio Zapatera who were helpless as their babies do not have milk, no food.  So, I thought of coming up an initiative “Para kay baby.”  We looked for some donors and, thankfully, daghan pud ang ni-respond,” said Lapinosa, Miss CIT-U Engineering’s first princess in 2019.

Lapinosa, a resident of Apas, Cebu City, also took notice that the government has been mainly giving out relief goods, consisting mainly of rice and canned goods, but none for babies.  This kept her pushing on, despite her family getting scared of her going out to personally hand in the donation to those poor families with kids.

Each kit that the group gives out has milk (depending on the age level), diaper and baby food that is worth more than P500.

Aside from that, an educational sheet on breast-feeding, especially to those teenage moms who don’t know about lactation and breast-feeding, and about COVID-19, are included.

“Ako silang tudluan ana sa basic information. Pati sa pagpatutoy sa bata maski wala pa ko kasuway og patutoy gyud ug paghugas sa kamot and how to take care of the kids para iwas COVID,” said Lapinosa.

Her efforts did not go unnoticed, as SkinWhite gave her the needed financial support to sustain her initiative via the company’s #BeTheLight” campaign. Lapinosa said she was given P100,000 that was purchased for the babies’ needs.

Now on its seventh run, Lapinosa said she is far from over, even as school resumes soon.

“Okay raman pud karon, continue lang gihapon as long as naa mi funds to sustain kay online schooling paman ni ron,” she said.

Aside from those projects that Lapinosa had initiated, she has long been helping in her own capacity, even going went as far as Bohol to help rebuild the homes of those who was also affected by typhoon Yolanda and the major earthquake back when she was still in high school.

“As long as I can, I will continue to do whatever I can. Daghan naman pud mga batan-on who are also doing their own initiatives. I hope daghan pa pud ug mo-trust namo para we can also sustain whatever projects we have to help others,” said Lapinosa.

For those who want to help Lapinosa, she can be reached through her Facebook account or via 0929-8085392. — GAN (FREEMAN)