Taiwan-backed charity campaign helps 1,900 Filipino children return to school

Manila/Taipei, June 2/3 (CNA) A charity campaign supported by Taiwanese businesses and groups has provided stationery and other school supplies to about 1,900 disadvantaged children in the Philippines ahead of the new school year, according to a Taiwanese volunteer involved in the project.

"The once-dim path toward education has been lit up again for these underprivileged children," said Jessica Li (李秭豔), a Taiwanese volunteer with the charity group Metro World Child, which organized the campaign.

Under the title "One Bag of Stationery, One Hope," the campaign distributed Taiwan-donated stationery bags to about 1,900 children from low-income families at three separate donation events in May, Li told CNA on Tuesday.

The campaign marked an expansion from its inaugural edition last year, when 730 bags of stationery and other school supplies were distributed, she added.

The latest official poverty data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed that 10.9 percent of Filipino families, or about 3 million families, were classified as poor in 2023, meaning their incomes were "not sufficient to buy their minimum basic food and nonfood needs."

Having worked with disadvantaged children in the Philippines for 26 years, Metro World Child has seen how many poor families in the country have long struggled financially, making even basic school supplies such as pencils and notebooks a heavy burden, Li said.

With the new school year set to begin on June 8, some children have been worried about whether they will be able to return to school because their families cannot afford those supplies, she said.

Among them is Michael, who lives in a fishing village near Manila Bay and is set to enter seventh grade, according to Li.

Michael's father suddenly lost his fishing job two months ago, leaving the family without a source of income, Li said.

Although Michael performs well at school, he had considered temporarily dropping out because he was worried his family would not be able to buy him the supplies he needed, she said.

Li also cited the case of Glenn, a 13-year-old boy living in Manila's port area. Glenn's mother left home shortly after giving birth to him and his father supports the family through odd jobs.

Glenn has dropped out of school several times because his family could not afford stationery and remains in fourth grade, Li said.

With the help of the donated stationery bags, both boys will be able to return to school for the new academic year, she added.

According to Li, this year's campaign was supported by Taiwanese companies and organizations, including China Airlines, the Taiwan Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the Philippines, and several churches in Taiwan.