500 Bantay Bata coin banks in Balanga

MANILA, Philippines - The recent commemoration of the 14th cityhood of Balanga, Bataan became more meaningful as the city embarked on a partnership with the country’s first and only media-based child-caring program, Bantay Bata 163.

Mayor Joet Garcia led the distribution of 500 “Barya Mo, Buhay Ko” coin banks of Bantay Bata to 500 barangay officials, private sector groups, national government agencies, and schools, with the aim of teaching constituents to save and help even in a simple way.

Governor Abet Garcia, Mayor Joet Garcia and Vice Mayor Noel Valdecanas graced the ceremony, dropping replica P10 coins in a big Bantay Bata can.

Prior to the event, Bantay Bata resource mobilization manager Caress Banson spoke to 900 parents at the closing of a 10-module parenting class. She  spoke about the importance of parents’ roles in shaping society through the youth.

On New Year’s Eve, instead of using firecrackers, Mayor Garcia exhorted citizens of Balanga to rattle their coin banks to celebrate.  This is also in connection with the Iwas Paputok campaign of the Department of Health, which Bantay Bata 163 supports.

The “Barya Mo, Buhay Ko” coin bank is one of the longest-running projects of Bantay Bata 163. Since the beginning, coin banks placed in malls, supermarkets, schools, and adopted personally, have been a simple but useful tool in providing food on families’ tables, sending children to schools, helping in the recovery of abused children, and giving medical assistance to sick children.

The Philippines has more than 100 cities. If every city can adopt a Barya Mo, Buhay Ko coin bank, with citizens dropping their extra coins, more lives in need can change for the better.

To find out more about Bantay Bata 163, visit www.bantaybata163.com.