CEBU CITY, Cebu Dec. 19 (PIA) -- As a way to extend help to families affected by calamities this year, the Association of Regional Executives of National Agencies in Region 7 (ARENA7) held a Christmas Gift Giving Activity at Brgy. Busay Barangay Hall, this city, on Dec. 16.

Around 100 families in Brgy. Busay received various in-kind gifts from the different national government agencies (NGAs) under ARENA-7.

Part of the recipients are the 21 families who were victims of the landslide that hit the said barangay due to Typhoon Paeng.

Among the government agencies that participated in the gift-giving were the Department of Health (DOH7) who distributed face masks and vitamins and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD7), who provided family food packs for the landslide victims.

"We are one united force, then we decided to share something sa katung na affected sa bagyo ug landslide (for those affected by the storm and landslide). Though we prepared a hundred, but nindot kaayo ang generosity sa atong tagsa-tagsa ka mga agencies nga nagdala didto pwerte na nuong daghana (because of the generosity of the respective agencies, we ended up with more gifts)," said ARENA7 President and Department of Education 7 Regional Director Dr. Salustiano Jimenez.

"Hinaot unta nga katung ginagmay nga nahatag sa atong mga kaubanan diha sa Busay, makalipay pud nila (Hopefully, what we brought will bring happiness to the beneficiaries in Busay)," he added.

The other NGAs that joined the said activity were Civil Service Commission (CSC), Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Office of Civil Defense (OCD), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) Cebu Branch, Department of the Interior and Local Government, and the Philippine Information Agency.

Also present were CSC7 Regional Director Carlos Evangelista, OCD7 Regional Director Segundo Bolo, DOST7 Regional Director Jesus Zamora Jr., TESDA7 Regional Director Gamaliel Vicente Jr., DENR7 Regional Director Paquito Melicor Jr., DOH7 Medical Officer III Dr. Shelbay Blanco, and GSIS Cebu Branch Manager Atty. Mercedes Victoria Enriquez. (RGC/PIA7 Cebu)