MANILA, Philippines - After the conduct of the Metrobank Group Helping Hands Bohol Earthquake relief operations and medical mission in 2013, GT-Metro Foundation, in partnership with the Philippine Navy’s Naval Reserve Command (NAVRESCOM), revisited Calape, Bohol through its Salamin sa Maliwanag na Bukas (Eyeglasses for a Bright Future) program held recently at the Bohol Island State University’s Calape campus.
With the assistance of NAVRESCOM reservists, ROTC cadets and barangay health center nurses, some 354 indigent adults and elderly benefited from the free eye screening mission and eye wash service, as well as received free reading eyeglasses that will allow them to engage in productive activities.
This year, GTMF positioned its Salamin program to provide continuing assistance in the recovery efforts of communities affected by calamity and disasters. Missions were held in Zamboanga City and Palo, Leyte, which benefited 534 and 482 adults and elderly, respectively.
Salamin is a nationwide eye check-up and eyeglasses distribution program that aims to reach out to underprivileged communities where access to eye services is costly and hard to come by. Since it started in 2010, the program has distributed 11,000 pairs of eyeglasses to indigent adults and school-aged children nationwide.