DSWD provides psychosocial care and free food for Manide tribal children in Paracale CamNorte

Paracale, Camarines Norte—No amount of money can buy the happiness of the Manide children when they see the famous Jollibee clown courtesy by the Department of Social Welfare and Development in Bicol in celebration of the Indigenous People’s Day here.

The Manide children and their parents were able to see and take a picture with the famous clown of Jollibee after the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) provided free food along with the bee clown of the famous food chain to entertain the Bicol Region’s oldest tribesmen in Paracale town.

Father and son Edwin Sagala Salvatore, 42, and Froilan, 12, both grade 4 at Katutubo Elementary School at Barangay Bakal in Paracale town were so elated when they saw the clown of Jollibee dancing before them.

It was Froilan’s dream along with the Manide children to eat Jollibee food and see the famous clown.

Froilan and the Manide children see the Jollibee clown and food through the mobile phone with internet connection in first Katutubo School, run by the local government unit of Paracale and of the Department of Education.

“It was my dream to see the bee clown of Jollibee and have a taste of their food. I saw it on the phone where many children were heading there and having their favorite chicken,” Foilan told this reporter during the distribution of school supplies and Noche Buena packs in December 2023 from the philanthropist in the judiciary who don’t want to be identified.

The Katutubo School is located in the hinterland of Bakal village Paracale town where the Manide tribe dwells.

The place could be reached by private cars and habal-habal but there is no public transport as the Manide tribesmen usually walked barefoot within the mountain ranges.

The Manide children reiterated their dream to see the bee clown and to have a taste of Jollibee food during the DSWD visit in Katutubo Elementary School when the department distributed a food pack to the Manide families in Paracale town affected by the El Nino phenomenon.

On October 16, the dreams of Manide children were granted after the Department of Social Welfare and Development provided free food as part of feeding activity along with the bee clown.

DSWD director Norman Laurio, granted the wishes of the Manide children as part of the psychosocial care activities.

Edwin Sagala Salvatore, 42, Froilan’s father said that he was jubilant seeing the bee clown for the first time as his son and fellow tribesmen were overjoyed.

“We are happy because the Manide children were able to see the Jollibee clown for the first time including us. Thank you to DSWD and to you for fulfilling our dreams. The happiness of Froilan and the Manide children truly could not be bought,” Edwin told Bicol Mail.

Laurio said that the DSWD will provide possible livelihood to the community in partnership with other government agencies to ease the poverty of the tribesmen.

Allan N. Terrazula, teacher-in-charge of Katutubo Elementary School expressed profound gratitude to DSWD, this reporter and other partners for making the children happy including the parents of the Manide tribe.

“No amount of money can buy the happiness of the Manide children and their parents currently enrolled in Katutubo Elementary School. Thank you to DSWD and this writer including your partners for your continued assistance in our school,” Terrazula said.

Currently, there are 74 students enrolled in the region’s first Katutubo school. The enrollment decreased from 87 to 74 as the Manide children could no longer sent their children to school due to lack of income and proximity of the place. – RHAYDZ BARCIA