THe Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) headed by its chairman, Margarita Juico, donated relief goods to the residents of Pangasinan province on October 10.

Over 900 indigent beneficiaries coming from Urdaneta City and Dagupan City benefitted from the mission conducted in coordination with the local government unit and Representative Gina de Venecia through her foundation.

They were represented by Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez of Dagupan and some barangay heads representing the 31 beneficiary barangays.

Aside from clothing, the relief goods also included basic medicines such as paracetamol, vitamins, loperamide, and other antibiotics.

“We are bringing our services to the people in line with President [Benigno] Aquino [3rd]’s instruction of delivering PCSO medical and health services to the areas where it is much needed,” said Juico.

Juico also mentioned that PCSO will soon conduct a milk feeding program in the area after its trial implementation in Metro Manila. The aim of this program is to monitor the health of beneficiary children to ensure that their learning capabilities are maximized. Studies show that malnourished children are less productive in school compared to students who are properly nourished.

PCSO also awarded the first tranche of its endowment fund to Pangasinan Provincial Hospital in San Carlos City. Juico handed the check amounting to P750, 000 to hospital cashier Ruben Managan who was accompanied by chief nurse Aurora Bautista. The subsidy will be used for the improvement of services of the hospital.

In another development, PCSO General Manager Jose Ferdinand Rojas recently went to Butuan City to turn over dental equipment comprising a dental unit and chair and dental x-ray machine to the Philippine National Police Hospital of Region 13.

Mayor Ferdinand Amante of Butuan City pledged an office in their government center for PCSO so that a provincial district office may be built there. Rojas gladly accepted the donation, saying that, “The charity agency, through its present board of directors, is focusing its programs in hard-to-access areas particularly in Mindanao”.

One strategy for this is the establishment of new branch offices. PCSO has already opened three new offices this year in the provinces of Samar, Cagayan and Zambales.

Rojas also reminded the public that PCSO services are funded through the earnings from its games.

“While playing PCSO games, one not only has the chance to become a millionaire, he is also helping the needy and the less fortunate,” A 62 years old farmer, from Butuan City hit the P28 million Super Lotto 6/49 jackpot prize on August 14 draw.