Caraga cops distribute school supplies in exchange of trash

By Erwin M. Mascariñas
Correspondent .

Butuan City — About 250 recycled shoulder bag’s from election tarpaulins with school supplies were distributed by the personnel of Caraga Police Region Office in exchange of plastic trash at a primary school in Butuan City, last Thursday.

Primary school pupils from Babag Elementary school in Butuan City were asked to bring plastic trash in exchange of school supplies and a recycled bag made out of election tarpaulins.

“This is our way of spreading the call and awareness on keeping our environment clean as well as pushing for a healthier community,” said Brigadier Gen. Gilberto Cruz, Regional Director of PRO13.

Before the distribution of school bags, Cruz showed a slideshow presentation on the dangers plastic have on the environment and the body of waters, citing that plastics pose a major threat towards the environment and the creatures that live within it. 

“What we are doing is that we are not just giving out schools supplies, but we want to raise the awareness of our children on what is supposed to be done on the growing menace of plastics. Because this is not just for us but this is more about their future,” said Cruz.

Cruz emphasized that if the irresponsible throwing of plastics into creeks, rivers and into the ocean there will be a huge problem that will affect the future of the children. 

The police regional director hopes that through the event, children, as well as the community, will learn to give importance to proper waste disposal and how to manage proper recycling. 

Majority of the trash turned over by the grade school pupils were from empty plastic bottles.

“These plastic bottles and trash, we aim to have them melted and converted to small chairs that will be distributed again to this school,” added Cruz.

Lolita B. Neri, school principal of Babag Elementary School expressed her gratitude to PRO13 while asking additional support.

“We hope that aside from the help extended to us today, our police regional director will also fulfill the promise of school chairs as well as helping us with some of the shoes and school uniforms for our children,” said Neri.