Palace adviser donates kids' books in P'panga

Presidential Adviser for Children's Affairs Jamby Madrigal has donated library books to three elementary schools in Pampanga in her continuing books-for-the-barangays project in the provinces to enable underprivileged children to fight illiteracy.

Madrigal said she plans to provide computers to the schools in San Simon town "to help the children be at par with other students in the cities."

The beneficiaries were the San Simon Central Elementary School represented by its principal, Honesto Simbulan, and the elementary schools of San Pedro through its librarian Irenita Malonzo, and San Miguel, represented by its head teacher, Linda Dizon.

More than 1,500 school children, teachers and parents welcomed Madrigal and witnessed the turnover of the books at San Simon's open-air gym.

San Simon Mayor Azor Sitchon, Vice Mayor Rommel Bondoc, district schools' supervisor Warlita Ibe, Luis Taruc of the Huk Veterans Foundation and Mikey Arroyo, son of Vice President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, were among the guests.

Since the last quarter of 1999, Madrigal has given away thousands of children's books through the Books for the Barangay Foundation Inc., which she founded to provide underprivileged Filipino children with tools "to reach their full potentials."