COTABATO CITY (August 24) — For 49 elementary pupils in Libungan, Cotabato, seeing the blackboard clearly may now be a little easier — and so could learning.
The children from underserved families received free prescription eyeglasses on Aug. 20 as part of Cotabato province’s observance of Sight Saving Month.
The beneficiaries came from various public schools in the municipality and from Muslim, Christian and Indigenous communities.
Before receiving their eyeglasses, the pupils underwent eye screening by ophthalmologists from the Integrated Provincial Health Office-Cotabato (IPHO-Cotabato) and school nurses, who assessed their vision problems and determined the corrective measures they needed.
The activity was jointly facilitated by the office of Gov. Emmylou Taliño-Mendoza, local government officials, education authorities and IPHO-Cotabato health workers.
But behind the numbers are families for whom a pair of eyeglasses can compete with more immediate household needs.
The parents of the 49 pupils earn their living as farmers, market laborers, public transportation terminal workers, tricycle drivers, and fruit and vegetable vendors.
Their earnings, local officials said, are often just enough to cover the family’s daily expenses, making prescription eyewear an expense that can easily be pushed aside.
For a child struggling to see words on a blackboard, however, poor eyesight can become a barrier to learning.
A missed word, blurred lesson or difficulty reading from a distance can affect classroom participation and, over time, a child’s confidence and academic performance.
The free eyeglasses were thus more than a health intervention. They were a practical step toward helping children stay engaged in school without adding another financial burden on their families.
The initiative also highlighted the importance of detecting vision problems early, particularly among children in low-income communities where access to eye care may be limited.
As Cotabato marks Sight Saving Month this August, the message from the Libungan outreach is simple: sometimes, helping a child learn better starts with helping that child see.
