Under Republic Act 8525, private companies and individuals under the Adopt-a-School Program may avail themselves of tax incentives up to 150 percent. (PIA-MMIO)

The Department of Education (DepEd) and its private sectors partners under the Adopt-a-School Program recently signed a (MOA) for free eyeglasses and vision improvement activities which will be made available to public schools. This joint initiative involves JG Primelink, Optical International, Plastilens, Optimate, Kraktek and Civitan Philippines.

The I Care" and "Sight Care Program" will focus on the development of a Vision Perception Clinics where students found to have eyesight problems will receive free eyeglasses.

Civitan will develop the facility and pilot the program in selected public elementary schools in the National Capital Region (NCR). Together with the Eye Health and Safety Foundation, Civitan will administer the implementation of the Sight Care Program.

Optimate and Optical International will provide frames for the eyeglasses, together with ophthalmic lenses that will be provided by Plastilens.

JG Primelink, meanwhile, will provide five units of eyerelax device. Eyerelax is clinically programmed to improve shortsightedness commonly caused by tired eyes. Its safety as a non-medicinal device has been established.

Kraftek Trading, a company that specializes in the production and distribution of educational materials, will be in-charge of distributing cognitive and motor skills development tools packages.

Each package contains "manipulatives" or educational toys that aid vision therapy for children, such as shape sorters for pattern-making and color matrices that enhance color perception.

The DepEd Chief praises these groups for providing the equipment that will give public school pupils better eyesight.

Furthermore, he encouraged other private sector partners to "support DepEd's Adopt-a-School Program and work with us as we provide training to our teachers, books and sturdier school buildings to our students, and produce healthier and brighter students."

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