Basilan Jaycees Reaches Out To Poor

Lamitan Jaycees president Hegem Furigay donates medical relief goods to Antonio Aguillera, of the Dr. Jose Ma. Torres Memorial Foundation Hospital in Basilan island in the southern Philippines, as other JCI members look on. Top photo shows Lamitan-JCI members. (Hader Glang)

BASILAN Island (Hader Glang / 10 Jan) Newly reactivated Lamitan Jaycees donated medical relief goods to mostly poor Muslim villagers and hospital patients during the celebration Tuesday of the Eid'l Adha Hajj in Basilan island in the southern Philippines.

Local Jaycees president Hegem Furigay handed over the relief goods to Antonio Aguillera, the administrator of the Dr. Jose Ma. Torres Memorial Foundation Hospital in Lamitan town.

The relief goods, which included assorted vitamins and medical supplies, were donated by Amy Quides, of Honolulu, Hawai'i.

"We hope that in our little way, we can reach out to the indigent community of Lamitan. We are concerned about the poor and we will continue to collect relief goods, so more people will benefit from this humanitarian mission," Furigay said.

Aguillera thanked the members of the Lamitan Jaycees and Quides for their initiatives, saying, the relief goods will help a lot of people, especially indigent patients in the hospital.

"Basilan belongs to one of the most depressed provinces in the country. We have so many indigent patients who are solely dependent on people like you in the Jaycees, and Mrs Amy Quides and those who made this donation possible, the people who have kind hearts," Aguillera said.

Furigay said his group would conduct more community outreach programs this year to help create a positive and social impact in Lamitan town.

He said the Lamitan Jaycees will conduct more fund raising projects and livelihood seminars to help the locals, and promote sports development, where the youth can improve their individual character and personality, and to drive them away from drugs.

"We hope to help them improve and become a better and responsible citizen," he said.

Furigay also appealed to the public for donations to help the poor in Lamitan town. "Your help will benefit many indigents in Lamitan, please help them," he said.

Lamitan Jaycees is an affiliate of the Junior Chamber International Inc., a worldwide federation of young leaders and entrepreneurs.(For donations, please contact Hegem Furigay +63917.5254323 and +63921.4300242 or send them to JCI-Lamitan Office, Caltex Station Building, Quezon Boulevard, Lamitan, Basilan)