Last week, the government ordered all citizens to wear masks when venturing outside during the month-long lockdown. Most all of the very poor do not have facemasks.

As of April 4th, the Philippines has reported 3,246 COVID-19 cases with 152 deaths. The main island of Luzon which is 120 miles from Davao City has been under lockdown since March 16th, while local authorities in other provinces have imposed their own set of restrictions.

Mayor Sara Duterte has placed all of Davao City under “community quarantine” amid the growing number of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases in the country.

In her Executive Order No. 1 issued on March 15, Duterte said the local government here should take “aggressive and proactive” measures, as the number of COVID-19 cases in the country continues to rise.

You may click on this link to view the Face Mask Project

Submitted by Bob Wolkins President of Heartland Council

The purpose of the Davao City project is to try to lift these kids out of poverty. The only way to do this is to educate them. This is what we are trying to do. We have, however, found out in the past 4 years, that the children learn very little when they are starving. These children are lucky if they get one meal per day. That meal consists of a small cup of cooked rice, not the kind of meals that American kids get. They do not know what it is to have 3 full meals each day and are very thankful and lucky if they get a single cup of rice per day, not per meal.

As for the kids, we spend 3 days per week in this squatters village teaching the kids. We concentrate on English and Math. We also teach them how to put others ahead of themselves, in other words to serve others. After all, this is what Pioneers do.

The front yard you saw in the photo is also their school house. No desks, no floor, no rulers, no pencils and NO anything else. They sit on the ground or mud, depending on the weather each day they are in class. This is not conducive to learning. When the lockdown from the Virus is over, we will provide folding tables and chairs for the kids as well as some teaching aids to help further their learning experience.

You may click on this link to view the Davao City Project

Submitted by Bob Wolkins President of Heartland Council

Gordon Hankins president of Crossroads Chapter 135, New Outlook Pioneers has submitted a club and chapter roster for 2020. This is information for the region and for others that would look to contact different members in the club and Chapter. This roster is to make it easier to contact the officers in the club and chapter. Gordon is also co-chair with his wife Connie of the Therapy Oriented Tricycle (TOT) Project. They took over the TOT Project in 1996.

You may view the roster by clicking on this link.

Submitted by Gordon Hankins President