Lolo was a WW2 guerilla, got sick w TB. Lola packed food, meds for guerrillas, poor neighbors. Dad and siblings, as children, did courier service; one was an intel recruit. Miss, they'd tell you: safety plans should prioritize the least of our brethren. #COVIDquarantine (thread)
I am comfortable at home with my books and music. But my heart broke yesterday as shock gripped Bon, a carpenter on the block, on being informed he would not be able to work anymore the next day, as the government wants people to stay in their homes.
He thought I was joking. When Bon finally got it, his face went pale.He clenched his hands.
“Kailangan mag trabaho!” I told him not to risk it; there would be armed men on the streets.
“Sasabihin ko sa kanila, sila magpakain sa pamilya ko!”
“Kailangan mag trabaho!” I told him not to risk it; there would be armed men on the streets.
“Sasabihin ko sa kanila, sila magpakain sa pamilya ko!”
I showed him a screencap and translated the meaning of “enhanced community quarantine.”
“Saan kami kukuha ng pagkain, ma’am?”
I shared what Panelo said, “the LGUs will take care of you.”
He snorted. “Paano pakakainin ang milyon-milyon katao? Alam ba nila ilan kami sa bahay?”
“Saan kami kukuha ng pagkain, ma’am?”
I shared what Panelo said, “the LGUs will take care of you.”
He snorted. “Paano pakakainin ang milyon-milyon katao? Alam ba nila ilan kami sa bahay?”
“Paano ang mga kailangan na gamot?” Bon asked.
I told him to wait for the President.
And this man stood still for a long minute, staring at me, eyes slowly going bloodshot.
“Naniniwala pa ba kayo sa kanya, ma’am?”
I told him to wait for the President.
And this man stood still for a long minute, staring at me, eyes slowly going bloodshot.
“Naniniwala pa ba kayo sa kanya, ma’am?”
I shook my head, hating to be the bearer of bad news to a man raising seven kids to be good scholars despite poverty.
I tried to explain the need for quarantine.
But how do you ease the pain of this man who toils steadily for his family, warbling standards with his high tenor?
I tried to explain the need for quarantine.
But how do you ease the pain of this man who toils steadily for his family, warbling standards with his high tenor?
“Ok lang, ok lang,” Bon muttered.
“Pero paano kami kakain?”
I did the only thing left to do; handed over some money to tide him over until he could get something closer to home, where he would not have to brave the mean roads. But...
“Pero paano kami kakain?”
I did the only thing left to do; handed over some money to tide him over until he could get something closer to home, where he would not have to brave the mean roads. But...
I couldn't sleep. Seven kids! One breadwinner. There's nothing to fix at home; most hardware stores have closed. But we've told Bon, he can temporarily move in just so he doesn't break quarantine while providing food for his family.
But I am one person, a worker myself, and he is but one man. What happens to millions of others out there? Bon and other working poor do not get UCT, which @dswdserves has shelved for now. Today, brgy told him registered indigents get priority.
But in their community, within walking distance from Malacanang, hundreds of families with breadwinners in the informal sector are now all indigents: carpenters, drivers, vendors, many falling through social welfare cracks.
DILG Secretary Ano, irked at being questioned over mechanics, snapped that families could buy food for a week. These are daily wage earners, with hardly any savings. As @ruffybiazon notes, some people just don't see conditions on the ground.
NOBODY WANTS TO VIOLATE THE LOCKDOWN. Everyone understands the risk. But everyone is also waiting for the details of that promised food aid. "Umikot, tingnan sino gutom"? Ano yan?
We all want to help, not just the health frontliners (we had to contact a doctor friend to swing by and send over 3 gallons of alcohol to PGH), but residents who now face hunger.
The barangays with predominantly poor residents will be swamped. We can't do delivery services for them; that would violate quarantine rules. But, much as many of us are wary of channeling funds to government units, we'll have to suspend doubts in the face of a cavalier natl govt
Contact your barangay. Ask what supplies they need. Purchase what you can spare from your income when you buy groceries and bring these to the barangay. Water will be critical in many brgys where folk have to buy their supplies.
I don't know if the water firms will be giving supplies for free. If they do, move on to other needs. How the UCT families will fare with meds and food remains to be seen. There are close to 500,000 recipients in the Metro alone. @dswdserves will have to feed them for a month.
But there are no provisions for the hard-working poor, who pay taxes by the way, through VAT, for food and other needs. They're the ones in dire need of help now. They're the ones Trade Sec Lopez said should ship out or register -- a stupid suggestion taken over by the lockdown.
The ILO estimates that one of five metro workers are in the informal sector. Other organizations place them at 38% of the NCR workforce. Luzon has a population of 48.5 million. The more conservative estimate tells us 9 million folks and their families face hunger.
Hoping we get clear mechanisms and guidelines from the government on how they will be fed. Because it's not just the elderly that are vulnerable to #COVID19PH "Pre-existing diseases" -- 1 million Filipinos have tuberculosis.
Lockdown if we must -- and everywhere in the world shows us it IS a critical containment measure. But, for God's sake, Duterte, stop with that arrogant, boastful tone. Citizens are not the problem. Your insensitive, oido approach to problems will be the death of us all.
anti-hoarding rules -- my suggestion to shop for the least of our brethren may not be feasible. The best help is to urge your barangays and mayors to cover informal sector workers, add them to the list of registered indigents.
