A total of 110 teachers assigned at the Negros Occidental 5th district and the highly urbanized Bacolod City are soon expected to benefit from a dental makeover.
The Rotary Club of Bacolod Central led by its president, Rolem Basiya, Philippine Dental Association Negros Occidental president Dr. Analie Gonzaga, and Representative Emilio Bernardino Yulo III signed a tripartite memorandum of agreement on Wednesday, to formalize their partnership on a project dubbed “Project Smile: Yuhom ni Titser.”
The new edition of the project, according to Ma. Ester Espina, the Immediate Past District Governor, will identify 100 teachers from schools in the 5th district of Negros Occidental, and 10 from Brgy. Granada in Bacolod City, who will undergo teeth restoration procedures, which involve extraction, filling and dentures.
As stipulated in the agreement, the RCB Central will provide administrative support in the implementation of the project.
On the other hand, PDA Negros Occidental will perform all necessary and appropriate dental treatments and procedures necessary to achieve the objective of Project Smile, from assessment to post treatment activities.
For the Bacolod edition, the RCB Central has chosen Barangay Granada in Bacolod City, as the area of implementation, with 10 teachers from schools based in the barangay to be chosen as beneficiaries.
In a statement, RCB Central said that Granada barangay chairman Armando Vito has committed to assist them in the selection process, as well as take charge of other dental services such as extraction and filling, while the club will shoulder the cost of dentures.
On the other hand, Yulo said his representatives will select the 100 teacher beneficiaries, and will provide both financial and logistical support to the recipients.
The MOA also stipulates that the project must be completed by the end of the current year.
Project Smile was first launched in 2017, with 20 teacher beneficiaries from Handumanan National High School and Elementary School in Bacolod City.
The relaunch of the project coincides with the Rotary International’s Basic Education and Literacy theme for this month of September.*
