But, it seems to us, if - in 2025 - you need to see a politician to get supplies to send your kids back to school with - well that in itself is a pretty dire commentary on the state of the nation at 44 years of independence.
And that may explain why Said Perdomo and Aaron Gamboa's team effort is getting so much monetary and moral support - precisely because Gamboa is not a politician - he's a cop turned community worker - who does not operate with political filters.
Today, his efforts paid off again when a young business man from the Lake I/Martin's area called him up and decided to make it a good day for some neighborhood. Kids. Jules Vasquez was there:
Today Superintendent Aaron Gamboa was back in the Lake I/Martin's/Gunglung area donating school supplies to eager primary schoolers. He got them from a community member who's been following the story:
Supt. Aaron. Gamboa, SPU Commander
"Through the said, whatever said do, social media right, channel 7 - whatever and the facebook. Now a donor called me and told me he wanted to give, bless CET Site Aka Gungulung. I told him okay meet me at Angelus Press and I think he donated a thousand dollars and then we put it together and now we are going to give it to the kids in this area here."
And it came from a young businessman, Inmas Espinal who grew up here:
Inmas Espinal, HVAC
"Me personally growing up I didn't have anything. I didn't had no support, I didn't had no one to come and say okay you need this here you go. Looking at the action Mr Gambis was doing, I was amazed, I just wanted to give something. I don't have a big company, I don't own million of dollars, but I would appreciate when I was growing up, someone would say, hey, here's this, here is that, you know. So that's the only reason I'm doing it, and I'm doing nothing with my heart."
And Espinal knows the value of a single schoolbag - name brand or not.
Inmas Espinal, HVAC
"When I was, when we grew up here, it was only a swamp. We used to walk in pallets, and for sure, I know most of the kids are like me when I was young. I gone with my school for almost the whole year. All my mom used to do was sew it up and thing. I mean, I was happy. I was still happy. I never felt like I was poor, but I was happy, you know. So doing this, and I know the kids going with new school bag, new books, new this, I knew it would do something."
"In primary school, going with the old bag, you get bullied. You get bullied to the fullest, you know. So that's one of the main things. I mean, when he started to do this, I was like, nah, you know, this is the right way to go."
And he hopes that he can lead by example in this community where there are many businesses but not much charity:
Inmas Espinal, HVAC
"I mean there's a lot of Chinese stores, a lot of stores are around. Stores where that most of most of us from back here can contribute to the stores and we never heard none of them say hey you know what let's give something to the kids, let's give something to Gungulung."
Gamboa who was handing out the supplies today along with Hubert Baptist knows well the community's needs. Having worked here for eight years. Every day and I see and I see eight years for 2017. It was a rough task.
Supt. Aaron. Gamboa, SPU Commander
"Everyday and I see it, 8 years from 2017 its a rough task. Sometimes my blood pressure goes high, sometimes it goes low, but I have a job to do and I will continue until the times comes for me to departure this department."
Gamboa reaches retirement age in a few months - but the way this virtuous cycle has been going - he may have to take up community work full time.
And this afternoon Gamboa was staying at it. With the support of Sergio Chuc He was in the George Street and Port Loyola area continuing with the donation of bags and supplies. Tomorrow he will start working on the one thousand plus bags from the Said Perdomo effort.
