Senator Risa Hontiveros and Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo “Albee” Benitez joined members of the Rotary Club of Metro Bacolod and the Rotary Club of Manila Bay in inaugurating the 2-storey Rotary-Bolinao Day Care Center in Brgy. 1, Bacolod City, Friday morning, October 20.
The project is a joint effort by the two Rotary clubs that started initiating support for the rehabilitation of the day care center that was made of light materials.
However, Hontiveros decided that instead of rehabilitating the center, she granted P5 million to completely demolish and rebuild a new structure that will now benefit 50 children in the community.
Benitez lauded the Rotary clubs for providing the community with a sturdier structure conducive to children’s quality learning.
“Rotary is an organization that provides service to the community without any agenda or expecting anything in return”, he said.
He also thanked the senator for the financial support her office extended to realize the project.
Hontiveros stressed the need to value education, especially giving quality education to children as this is the very foundation they need to become productive citizens.
The project was started last year under the leadership of Past President Jeric Chua of RC Metro Bacolod and Past President William Yu of RC Manila Bay.
The two clubs have had sisterhood agreements spanning 26 years and present during the inauguration are President Jade Diaz of RC Metro Bacolod and President Jonathan Juan Moreno of RC Manila Bay with 30 other members who flew in for this event.
Rotary International District Governor Mate’ Espina of District 3850 also thanked both Rotary clubs for the wonderful gift to the community that will surely make learning a better experience for the children.
The schoolchildren of the Rotary-Bolinao Day Care Center also performed a thank you song to Hontiveros and gifted her with hand-print artworks.*