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

Update on the Davao City Face Mask Project

Submitted by Bob Wolkins President of Heartland Council

The Morris Club of Penn Jersey Chapter 132 of the New Outlook Pioneers is engaged in providing multimedia personal computers (PCs) to schools and community organizations throughout New Jersey.

The purpose of the computer donation program is to encourage and foster the learning of basic educational skills through the use of modern technology.

The PC donation program focuses on recycling computer equipment that is no longer needed by local businesses and making it available for educational purposes.

The process developed by the Pioneers includes the following activities: 1) Refurbish PCs and assemble PC components into systems, 2) Install educational software on the PCs (if the PCs are for preschools, 3) Deliver, setup and test the PCs at a community or school location and 4) Provide ongoing support for the donated PCs to solve any software or hardware problems that may be encountered.

Our community applicant base includes preschools, churches, handicapped individuals and the blind.

The software and educational games installed on the preschool PCs help develop basic learning skills, such as math, vocabulary, reading, language and problem solving. Using the software makes learning interesting and fun while helping to develop basic computer skills.

Windows and office software are installed on the other PCs along with screen-reading software (if the PCs or laptops are donated to blind individuals).

The program has been in place for since 1995. The New Outlook Pioneers have assembled and delivered over 7000 PC systems to date

You can read more about the program here.

This update to the program was submitted by chapter President Jim H. Heidler for Elisabeth

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