CEBU CITY — Special Assistant to the President (SAP) Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go on Thursday launched his “Sapatos ni SAP, Tsinelas Ka-Swap” advocacy at the Grand Convention Center here.
Go said the advocacy was initiated by his supporters inspired by swapping of his shoes with slippers of fire victims and calamity survivors.
The “Sapatos ni SAP, Tsinelas Ka-Swap” campaign, which was officially launched nationwide last June 23 at the Ynares Center in Antipolo City, is aimed at reaching out to indigents across the country by giving them not just shoes, but a “new spring in their steps.”
President Rodrigo Duterte’s top aide said they will be placing drop boxes in all Robinsons malls in Cebu for the campaign and enjoined Cebuanos to donate shoes, whether used or new.
“The giving of shoes is just a simple thing, but through this gesture, we become a bridge of hope and inspiration to our poor countrymen,” Go said in the Visayan dialect.
“A lot of people out there need the shoes that you no longer wear or use. So, I’m asking you to support this campaign and drop your shoes on the boxes at any Robinsons malls, and we will be the one to distribute them to our deserving fellow countrymen,” he added.
Go said they tapped the assistance of the Department of Education and the Department of Social Welfare and Development in identifying the recipients for the campaign.
Go brought smiles to 10 Cebuano indigents at the launching as he gave each of them a new pair of shoes.
Kent Mark Fernandez, a junior high school valedictorian and now a senior high scholar, was among the recipients. Fernandez toils daily as a garbage collector to help his parents support his 10 siblings.
Upon learning of the indigent student’s educational achievement and hardship, Go pledged to support the college education of Fernandez.
“I’m very much happy. With the scholarship grant from SAP Go, I would be able to pursue my dream of becoming a lawyer,” a teary-eyed Fernandez told reporters in Cebuano.
Among the other beneficiaries were blind masseur Victor Pogoy, who has 10 children; Allen Canoy, son of blind parents; working student Jayson Calunsag, a habal-habal (motorbike-for-hire) driver from Oroquieta City who tried his luck in Cebu; youth leader Jaypee Mark Remedios; and banana cue vendor Evangeline Soco.
The “Sapatos ni SAP, Tsinelas Ka-Swap” was made possible by the initiative of private individuals and companies like Puregold Price Club Inc., San Miguel Corp., Cherry Mobile, Robinsons Land Corp., Family Mart, Robinsons Malls, Megaworld Construction Co., Phoenix Petroleum Philippines Inc., 2GO Group of Companies, and World Balance.
After the launching, Go proceeded to a meet with members of the Philippine Accessible Disability Services dragon boat team that brought home the gold medal from the Hong Kong competition last week. (Luel Galarpe/PNA) 
