President Rosemary K. Chibota, Primary General President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, joined Naga City Mayor Maria Leonor “Leni” G. Robredo at Naga City General Hospital on Monday to deliver newborn care kits and check on medical equipment the Church had donated the previous year.
President Chibota distributed 150 handmade newborn kits to mothers at the hospital and visited the facility’s neonatal intensive care unit, where she spoke with families of infants requiring specialized care. She was accompanied by Elder Steven D. Shumway of the Philippines Area Presidency, along with local Church leaders and hospital staff.
“Each newborn represents hope, promise and the future,” President Chibota told the mothers gathered at the hospital. “When we care for mothers and infants, we are investing in generations to come.”
Mayor Robredo said the visit reflected a relationship built on more than the giving of donations. The Church, she said, had returned not just to hand over new donations but to check on how earlier ones — including incubators, radiant warmers and other neonatal equipment worth approximately 8 million pesos donated in November 2025 — were being used.
“This is a partnership sustained by genuine care and follow-through,” Mayor Robredo said, adding that the gesture “speaks volumes about the sincerity of your commitment.”
The partnership between the city government and the Church dates to Robredo’s term as vice president. In 2019, the Church supported the construction of homes in Angat Buhay Village in Marawi City for families displaced by the 2017 conflict, through Angat Buhay, then the flagship anti-poverty program of the Office of the Vice President.
In February 2026, the Naga City Government, Helen Keller International and the Church signed a memorandum of agreement to expand the Barangay First 1,000 Days program across Naga’s 27 barangays. The program focuses on maternal and child nutrition during pregnancy and the first two years of a child’s life.
On August 7, 2026, Church leaders met with Mayor Robredo to discuss shared priorities, including community service, disaster response and strengthening families. The following day, she joined government, community and interfaith leaders at the groundbreaking of the Naga Philippines Temple.
The Church’s humanitarian efforts in the Philippines and around the world include maternal and newborn care, child nutrition, immunization, education and emergency response. The Church works with governments, health-care providers, nonprofit organizations and communities to address local needs and provides assistance without regard to race, religion or nationality.
The Church is politically neutral and does not endorse or support political parties or candidates.
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