THANKS to the support of the Saipan Unity Lions Club International, Saipan beautician Sharmaine Casquero provided free haircuts and food to 700 individuals in her hometown in the central Philippine province of Iloilo.
In March, Casquero, who has been a beautician on Saipan since 1995, visited Mina, a town in Iloilo where she grew up. When she arrived, a lockdown had been in effect due to a surge of a new Covid-19 variant. People were allowed to go out only once a week to go to the market to buy food.
Casquero said she saw the hardship that the people were going through so she decided to turn her vacation into a humanitarian mission.
She hired two hair stylists and two facial treatment experts and launched a hair, makeover and feeding program in the town’s remote villages.
She and her two assistants provided free haircuts, facial treatments, manicure and pedicure and served macaroni, soup and bread to senior citizens and children.
“It really touched my heart when I saw them lining up for the haircut and soup,” she said.
“One senior citizen begged me to continue doing what we’re doing because she said there were so many people who needed a haircut and a makeover,” Casquero said.
This prompted Casquero to seek help from the Saipan Unity Lions Club International of which she is a member.
She contacted its past president, Alicia Barbo, who relayed Casquero’s request to Atoy Banting, the Lions Club International District 204 governor based on Guam.
Once Casquero received financial help from the Saipan Unity Lions Club, she expanded her free haircut and food program and reached out to more residents.
At the end of her mission, Casquero’s hair, makeover and feeding program had served a total of eight barangays or villages.
Casquero said she also received assistance from her childhood best friend, Paterno Graciosa, who is now a village council member and president of the LGBTQ group in the town.
Before returning to Saipan, Casquero received a certificate of recognition from her alma mater, West Visayas State University where the deans learned about her beauty and feeding program. They also invited her to give an inspirational speech to 200 college students.
Casquero said she is very grateful to Lions Club International District 204 (Guam-Saipan) Governor Atoy Banting, Saipan Unity Lions Club past presidents Alicia Barbo and Yho Villavicencio, current president Lindie May Moleno, village council member Paterno Graciosa and Mina Town Mayor Rey D. Grabato for making her haircut and feeding program possible.
Sharmaine Casquero gives a senior citizen a free haircut in Mina, Iloilo, the central Philippines on April 7, 2022.
The children of Mina, Iloilo in the central Philippines enjoy soup while waiting for their turn to get a free haircut.
