LGUs Distributing Food Packs, Other Essential Goods Amid Community Quarantine

After the declaration of an enhanced community quarantine over Luzon, many have been worrying about how they will purchase the supplies they need since work has also been temporarily suspended for some employees. To address this concern, local government units (LGUs) have been doing their part to distribute food and medical supplies to their constituents, especially those who are in greatest need.

Pasig City

On Wednesday, March 18, 2020, Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto announced that his administration is preparing to distribute 400,000 food packs and 8,000 bottles of vitamins to the city’s residents, GMA News reports. The food packs will contain 3kg well-milled rice, two cans of sardines, two cans of corned tuna, two cans of corned beef, and two cans of meat loaf.

“Sa kasalukuyan ay inihahanda na namin ang Purchase Request para sa 400,000 food packs,” he wrote on social media. “Hindi magiging madali ang logistics nito. Hihingi ang lungsod ng tulong sa mga pamahalaan pambarangay para sa distribusyon.” The food packs, worth P397 each, are expected to be delivered at the end of the week.

In another post, Mayor Sotto shared photographs of the boxes of vitamins to be distributed, courtesy of PHILUSA Corp., which offered the Pasig City government a 10-percent discount. The first batch of the vitamins will be distributed today, Thursday, March 19, GMA News reports.

Other initiatives the Pasig City government has been implementing include mobile kitchens to prepare food for front liners and local responders, a no-hoarding ordinance, and the procurement of drones to disinfect various areas in the city.

Quezon City

ABS-CBN News reports that on Wednesday, Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte said that the city government will begin distributing assistance to around 400,000 families next week. She explained that they will be providing food packs that can last for one week.

On her official Facebook page, Mayor Belmonte also shared other ways the QC government has been helping its constituents, such as by giving free vitamins and pneumococcal vaccines to senior citizens and providing the Philippine Heart Center with 50 partition tents to be used as quarantine areas for persons under investigation (PUIs).

The QC government has also established HOPE 1, an alternative medical facility that will assist local hospitals in dealing with possible COVID-19 cases, and prepared packs containing soap, vitamins, alcohol, facemasks, and bleach to be distributed to citizens.

Mandaluyong City

In a Facebook post, the Mandaluyong City government announced its plans to distribute groceries to poor families. The distributions will be done once a week for a month with barangay captains and workers going from house to house to deliver the goods.

“Sa aking mga kababayan, nais ko pong ipaalam na ang inyong lokal na pamahalaan ay patuloy na gumagawa ng paraan upang makatugon sa pangunahing pangangailangan ng ating lungsod,” Mandaluyong City Mayor Menchie Abalos wrote in a separate post.

Imus City

In a Facebook post on Wednesday, March 18, Mayor Emmanuel Maliksi of Imus City announced the initiatives the city government intends to carry out in light of the quarantine. Among these is the distribution of food, medical, and sanitary supplies. Citizens in greatest need will be prioritized.

The Imus City government will also be distributing essential goods to its constituents. These goods include medical supplies, petroleum, groceries, fruits and vegetables, and meat products and other types of food.

Bacoor City

The City Government of Bacoor will be distributing relief goods to 100,000 residents, following the directive of Mayor Lani Mercado Revilla.

“Sama-sama, tulong-tulong, at walang pagod ang mga empleyado ng Lungsod ng Bacoor sa pag-eempake ng mga relief goods para maipabahagi na ang mga ito sa 100,000 na Bacoorenos,” the city government writes in a Facebook post. The relief goods include rice, canned goods, and noodles.

Cainta, Rizal

As reported by a previous SmartParenting.com.ph article, Mayor Kit Nieto of Cainta, Rizal is spearheading a 30-day feeding program which will start today, March 19, at 5 p.m. It will occur simultaneously in every barangay, with those work is suspended being prioritized. The food stubs for the feeding program will be delivered to each home.

On his personal Facebook page, Mayor Nieto shared photos of donations made by other citizens to assist other Cainta residents. One donated 1,000 packs of formula milk; these will be distributed to parents who are unable to work due to the quarantine.

Other citizens also donated pandesal and other types of bread to be distributed to senior citizens, vendors who cannot go to Pasig City to purchase products to sell, and “vendors na hindi makapagtinda dahil ‘yung mga suki nilang [tricycle] drivers ay walang pasada.”