LCP Mario Dionisio Jr.
The Rotary Club of Manila South (RCMS) successfully installed Handwashing and Laundry Facilities at the Manila Youth Reception Center (MYRC) for its District Grant Project for the Rotary Year 2021-2022.
MYRC is an LGU-run Institution under the Manila Department of Social Welfare. It provides temporary or short-term residential care for children in conflict with the law (CICL) who are above fifteen (15) but below eighteen (18) years of age who are awaiting court disposition of their cases or transfer to other agencies or jurisdiction. More than a hundred CICLs will benefit from the said project, apart from the officers, staff, house parents and security guards who are manning the said Center.
LCP Mario T. Dionisio Jr. came to know about the need of the said facility when they visited the same last year to provide items like vitamins, alcohol and face masks for personal protection of CICL against the COVID 19 virus. They found out that the Center has no adequate washing stations for the use of the CICL. Likewise, the area previously used for washing of clothes is no longer functional giving additional problem to the hygiene and sanitation concerns of the people at the center. Thus, the RCMS took the initiative of installing eight handwashing sinks (lavatories) and two concrete basins for the laundry station.
Due to the urgency of the project brought about by the spread of the dreaded COVID-19 virus, it was constructed immediately after LCP Mario Dionisio Jr and Ms. Lorna Escuril, MYRC Center Head, agreed on the matter. The construction, which took two weeks, was supervised by PP Tutchi Tutica Jr., the TRF Chair of the Club. After its completion, a ceremonial turned over on July 8 was made by the RCMS representatives in the presence of the MYRC Officers and Staff.
CICL residents, officers and staff of the said Center expressed their gratitude for the installation of the said handwashing and laundry facilities. They are aware that handwashing is one of the most important steps that we can take to prevent the spread of viruses. And to stop the spread of COVID-19, along with other diseases, the practice of handwashing at regular intervals is a must. As we embrace the new normal and live with COVID-19, regular hand washing along with other hygiene routines needs to become an integral part of our daily lives, during this pandemic, and even beyond, to protect us from diseases.