Last August 14, 2022 the Rotary Club of San Mateo members together with the Rotaract Club of San Mateo and the Interact Club of San Mateo National High School in partnership with Barangay Malanday of San Mateo, Office of the Mayor and AFP Reserve Command joined hands to provide the community in Netra 2 Upper Patiis, a Six Areas of Focus-in-One Day Project. Netra 2 is located in the upland of San Mateo where quarrying is being done. These residents are quarry workers and some are informal settlers. Help is sometimes hard to come by in their area since you must pass through unpaved, muddy, and sometimes flooded streets. More than 800 residents out of the 1,000 residents of the community were beneficiaries of various service projects. The following are the six areas of focus that the project has provided in just one day of service in the community:
Area of Focus # 1: Disease Prevention and Treatment – free consultation for adult and children were provided by volunteer doctors from the military. They were also provided with the prescribed medicines. Free tooth extraction were likewise conducted by our volunteer dentists. Eye check-up were also conducted together with the distribution of free reading glasses. Minor surgeries and circumcision were also provided by the volunteer surgeons.
Area of Focus # 2: Maternal and Child Care – free medical consultations were given to mother and children in Netra 2 as well as vitamins for both mother and children. Free snacks were also provided to these children. Hygiene Kits were also distributed to them. As part of caring for the mother and her child, a lecture on Women and Children Protection were also conducted to the community leaders.
Area of Focus # 3: Peacebuilding and Conflict Resolution – the lawyer of the club headed the “Magtanong Kay Attorney” Project in the same area in the same day. Together with other lawyers they provided free legal counselling for 10 residents in the community who have legal concerns and cannot afford to pay for a lawyer.
Area of Focus # 4: Water, Sanitation and Hygiene – the children were gathered that same day and was given a simple instruction on the proper hand washing and brushing of teeth. Free hygiene kits which includes soaps, face masks, toothbrush and toothpaste were distributed to those who attended. Also, as part of personal hygiene, our volunteer military personnel who knows how to cut hair provided free hair cut to the children for their good hygiene.
Area of Focus # 5: Protecting the Environment – the club members upon learning of the newly constructed elementary school in the area planted ornamental plants in the school grounds as part of the Green and Clean Environment Campaign for schools. Hoping that teachers and students would also take the initiative to beautify their own school premises in the coming days and years.
Area of Focus # 6: Economic and Community Development – all the projects conducted in that day also helped in the economic and community development of the Netra 2 community and residents.
Also, for the newest thrust of Rotary International in Empowering Girls, the Lecture on Women and Children Protection hopes to bring about the importance of empowering our girls and women now and in the future in the community they belong.
August 14, 2022 also marked our Rotary Day of Service since a few of the volunteers are being invited by the club to become members. It was truly a day of service to our needy fellowmen in San Mateo.
Summary of Beneficiaries for the 6 areas of focus in 1 day project:
Adult Medical Consultations : 117 adults
Pedia Medical Consultations : 165 children
Dental Tooth Extractions : 101 teenagers
Minor Surgeries : 2 adults
Tule / Circumcisions : 25 boys
Medicines and Vitamins : 410 adults, teenagers and children
Eye Check Up : 200 adults
Free Reading Glasses : 200 adults
Free Hair Cut : 70 children
Hygiene Kits : 150 children
Tree Planting : 600 students of Patiis Elementary School
Free Legal Advise : 10 residents
Lecture on Women & Child Protection : 15 community leaders
Participated by:
17 Rotarians
6 Rotaractors
3 Interactors
5 Volunteer Lawyers
8 Volunteer Doctors
4 Volunteer Dentists
2 Volunteer Surgeons
5 Nurses
2 Hair Cutters
1 Urban Poor Leader as Guest Speaker for Women and Child Protection
10 Municipal Advisory Group (soon to be our RCC)
